Journey
by JellyfishBlues
Summary: Naruto woke in a strange place. He would have written it off as a dream, he wished he could have. When he met his end there, he woke in Konoha in bloodied chainmail. Pyromancy, he would have to look into that. While avoiding suspicion, of course. :: Naruto/Dark Souls crossover, both worlds.
1. 1

The crunch of plate metal on rust orange stone carried down along the battlement. Before him, a short walk along the wall to the next battlement tower. To his left, a sheer drop. Clouds drifted along far below, and in the distance a line of mountain peaks. To his right, the crags of uneven dirt and stone that provided the base for the outer battlement carried on a few more feet, chunks of brick that had fallen from the wall resting on the overgrown grass. Just beyond this strip of dirt the land sloped down into another sheer drop. Beyond that, across the gorge, sat the inner bailey of undead parish. A castle in its own right, it rose higher on the mountainside and grasped out at the outer battlement with a single stone bridge. From his position he seemed to be on a pier of stone, approaching a far off island in a sea of green.

What a place this must have been, he thought. There was not much left of the western wall. That much he had seen with his own eyes. The foundation built to stomach the greatest sieges sank to the abyss not seeing a single battle, while the east, considered superfluous and build on a ring of peaks already too steep to invade stood proud in the sun.

And from there, on the outer wall of undead parish, the knight could not see much to speak of. The drop drew his eye. The rusted gate across the bridge. The drop again. The width of the wall he walked, such that five men could walk side by side. Enough to form lines of shifting archers, enough to maneuver comfortably if only barely. His eyes turned to the left, sun catching on the mesh of his visor. The wall was broken, there, halfway across the path. The recurring juts of stone made to provide cover from which to fire stuttered off for three paces, overlooking a sheer drop into the open skyline, and the path caved in in aching webs such that he didn't dare tread heavily.

Had the Knight checked behind him, he would have seen a ladder ascending the battlement tower, hidden in shadows and creeping vines, and the tip of a notched arrow poke out over the top. A clattering sounded from behind, an arrow clanged off the thick plate of his shield arm. The Knight drew his shield and sword and turned, peering up at the tower over the lip of his shield. A ringing this time - the sound of a parried slash, and an archer fell backwards off the tower to crumple at the knight's feet.

A small figure in hardened black leather armor peered over the edge of the stone and waved, a cruel knife shining in his hand. Madoc of Thorolund raised a gauntlet in reply, sheathed his sword at his hip, swung his shield over his back, and turned to watch a beast leap down from the other tower with a groan that rattled his armor, a landing that shook loose another chunk of the wall. It stood three men tall, six men wide, barely fitting on the wall. If a bull rose up on hind legs and grew hands it would still only be a fraction the size of this thing. It raised a massive wooden axe and started towards him. Madoc unsheathed his sword at once; drew his shield from his back and tossed it behind, into the relative darkness of the tower.

He hunkered down as it heaved closer; squared his shoulders, sucked in a breath of bitter cold air. The Taurus demon reared back and pounced, one massive arm whipped the axe overhead in a downward slash. A figure leapt down from the tower behind him, bandit's knife in hand. Madoc, he rolled left and prayed.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"Me?" Spoke Aurelius of Carim, glancing up, his voice calm and measured over the gentle crackling of the bonfire. "No. I would only be so fortunate." He chuckled to himself then, in a moment of introspection. "You may ask yourself what I am doing here, in these lands, then. Something I ask myself often…" He laughed here, though his heart was not in it. "For this I have no answer. None yet. None I believe… Though I do not regret my position." A moment passed, and he amended, wryly, "often."

"Do you wish you did?" The other asked. A young boy in loosely fitted leather armor, laid on his back on the grass, hands behind his head, looking up at the stars with an air of silent contemplation. Around them, the ruins of a great stone shrine flickered in the firelight. "possess the darksign, I mean."

"…No." Aurelius returned after a moment. "It is not a pleasant thing, the darksign. I have seen its work firsthand. There is no rest for the marked. No thirst, no hunger. No discomfort. They shrivel and crack, and..." His voice turned bitter here, and he lowered his head as he continued, watching the gentle flames of the bonfire curl up in wisps and vanish in the night. "And it turns them mad, the nothing of it all. They pray for death, and it does not find them. They seek it, and it flees from them. The darksign flares on the flesh of the palm…" He raised his gauntlet then, eyeing it in the light of the fire. "And soon, there is this… husk, where a man once stood. Clothed. Armed. Raging at the disparity of it all." Aurelius' voice, here, the Other thought; heavy; but still low, tempered. Aurelius looked up from his melancholy, and the Other returned his gaze to the sky.

"Truly they are a pitiable kind." Said Aurelius. "No, I do not wish the darksign upon myself. I see my mortality for what it is."

"Oh?" The other said, knowing Aurelius would not mistake his tone or posture for disinterest. "What is it, exactly?"

Aurelius of Carim gave a small exhale through his nose. "A gift, of course… The greatest gift. One that too many have been deprived of."

Silence for a few moments. Then the Knight spoke again. "And you, young one? Naruto, was it. Quiet at such an age, though I cannot deny the circumstances. What drove you to leave your sign?"

He must be referring to summoning signs. The ones Naruto had unintentionally written in blood. "There were others before you." Naruto said, trying to match the same level, almost whispering tone of the Knight across from him. "The first was a Knight. Brave. Stubborn. Foolish. His name was Madoc."

"He met his death never knowing how much he annoyed me."

-(:=:)-

* * *

Madoc rolled left, and prayed, and emerged from the plume of powdered stone unscathed and pounding and alive. All at once he realized how small he was. The Taurus demon towered over him, hands as big as his torso, axe twice as tall as his body. The figure that leaped from above landed knife-first on the demon's back, driving deep into the thick muscle and bone of its spine, and for a moment Madoc dared to hope that the battle was over, his first victory behind him. He was wrong. The Taurus demon reared, raging but pained, and Naruto flew from its back to land some distance away on his feet, knife at the ready. He left a weeping, twisted wound – a task the bandit knife was forged for.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"This one possessed the darksign. Though he didn't show it, in cosmetics and in manner. He found me when I was alone. Told me what I needed to know. Comforted me when I was afraid. Clothed me when I was cold." Naruto raised his dagger, eyed the glint of the fire in the cold metal. "Armed me when I was weak."

-(:=:)-

* * *

For a moment, the attention was on Naruto. Madoc dashed forwards as best he could in his heavy platemail, and sliced through the calf of the nearest massive leg. He ducked, and was rewarded for his caution as a blind swing flew overhead. Naruto dashed in during the confusion, blade flipping to a reverse grip, and leapt onto the Taurus's back once more; this time sinking his blade deep into the flesh of the creature's neck. The Taurus was tensed and prepared despite its pain; he may well have been stabbing at the bark of a tree for the resistance he met. Still he ground the blade in deeper, grasping onto the thick hair on its hide as it shook and grasped over its shoulder, blood welling up in great gluts.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"Very rarely did he check his corners. Or above him, as he should. For that, were he alive, he would owe me a great thanks." Naruto snorted to himself, "rather, I suppose we might have been considered even."

"The way you prattle on I might think you in love." Came the impassive reply from Aurelius, though his grin could be felt. Naruto didn't think him the type to lighten the air with humor. Too stoic, too introspective.

"I may well have been." Naruto said. "I have always hated being coddled. He took it upon himself to look after me. Such is my relationship with things I need but do not want. They thrust themselves upon me, and I reject them, and they thrive on my petulance. In the end that was his undoing. That he felt a need to keep an eye on me. To protect me. Had I been someone more capable from the start, as was his intention, as he'd hoped… Perhaps things would be different. And had we known…"

-(:=:)-

* * *

Madoc rolled beneath another blind swing, felt chunks of brick pelt his back, and carved still deeper into its wounded calf. This time he struck bone, and the beast fell to one knee, roaring and raging and pounding at the ground around it.

Here, Madoc made a mistake. He grew impatient, and as the Taurus grabbed again at Naruto he moved in close, sword angled horizontally, aiming to finish the battle. A hand closed around his body, and the world slowed. He felt himself drawn up, saw the look in the Taurus Demon's eyes. Blood pouring down its back, over its chest. Naruto on its shoulder, still digging deeper. Finally, the look on the boy's face; determined, and then the dawning comprehension and horror. The Taurus clenched and blood gushed from Madoc's visor.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"A Great beast guards those walls. A Taurus demon." Naruto said, gesturing away, over the township, up at the outer battlements that ringed the bridge to undead parish. "He waits on the tower before the bridge. He is not immortal, nor invulnerable. But he is dangerous nonetheless. That is why I placed my sign here. In the hopes that this would not repeat itself."

Aurelius eyed the bonfire for a moment. Eyed the twisted straightsword thrust in the dirt, the soothing flames issuing forth from the blade. "He possessed the darksign." The unspoken question hung in the air.

"Ah. He did." Naruto nodded. Far, far above, in the distance, he could see the silhouette of a great castle on the mountain's peak. "He called me once more, not long ago, after a quiet spell. But he had grown… cold. While my back was turned, he ran me through. Now, I suspect he is still in the township of another world, at the base of the battlement. Waiting…"

Aurelius felt the words clam up in his throat. Not the time. "Have there been others?" He said, after some consideration, "other successes. Failures."

Naruto grew a small, satisfied smile. "Two. A young Pyromancer… and a fellow Knight, like yourself."

"Oh?" The Knight rested back against the grass, looking up at the stars the boy seemed so fascinated with. "… tell me about them."

Naruto could hear the polite indulgence, still he smiled a little further, and took in a breath through his nose. "The Pyromancer, a young woman with burning red hair. We did not talk much. I should say, rather, she did not talk much." Naruto snorted as his mind drifted back. "She had this sort of air about her, as if she was always moments from… punching someone."

Here Aurelius chortled for a moment, and Naruto didn't need to hear him say anything.

"Poor bull charged through a pool of glowing stone. It was a mercy when I ended its life. And as for the knight…"

Naruto chuckled for a moment. "The Knight on the other hand…" he cleared his throat theatrically. "'Royal Knight Lanval of Astoria, slayer of dragons and damsels alike.'"

"A man after my own heart." Said Aurelius.

"Fell to his death from that very staircase." Naruto nodded off to his left, where a stone staircase clung to the mountainside, leading up to Undead Burg. "For no other reason than crippling clumsiness and a poorly harnessed greatshield. Whether he bore the darksign, I am unsure. I have not seen him since."

The air was light again. Quiet still, but a welcome reprieve from the melancholy of their previous discussion. "And of you, Naruto? You are still a child. Will you grow old warning travelers of this demon?"

"No." Said Naruto, with so little pause Aurelius knew it was premeditated. "Not much longer. It is selfish, but I cannot keep doing this. I need… more. There is so much more to see. I feel myself growing stronger with each success. Soon, when I am ready, I will slay my own demon. From then, I will learn what I can of this place. Travel to the highest point in this land, and…" Naruto smiled. "I will see all this world has to offer."

Aurelius turned on his side. Such an interesting companion he had found. If only for the moment. Were he able, and Aurelius careful, perhaps they would see each other in Undead Parish. "We will move in the morning. For now, we are likely the only two for miles able to sleep. I intend to abuse this privilege."

Naruto snored. The next morning, he woke in his bed in Konoha, and he sat up, bandit knife clattering down the pads of his armor.

And he cursed.


	2. 2

So he'd died, then. Aurelius, likely he had fallen as well. Defenseless in sleep and with no darksign to sustain him. Time would tell. Naruto would leave his sign in that spot, in the shrine. Perhaps they would see each other again, and if so, Aurelius would know the culprit. The mindless undead could not approach the bonfire. If not their kind, then what? Who? Naruto didn't know.

For now he stood, removed his armor and dressed in his customary orange jumpsuit. His knife he drew up from the foot of his bed. Already he could feel an unsettling lightness where his thigh holster used to rest. He had been in that world for days this time before he met his end, and had grown accustomed to the weight of his armor and dagger. It would unbalance him; still what excuse could he have for owning such a weapon? Hey Iruka I found this knife that was forged to slip through the joints of armor and rupture internal organs, can I keep it? That would go over swimmingly.

Even worse was the weight in his gut, like he'd eaten a handful of rocks. Only Aurelius had possessed food, whatever stale bread and dried meat passed as. Otherwise he'd drunk from those flasks the undead seemed to always carry, stuff tasted like sugar and winter air but never settled his stomach for long. Madoc had said it was refined Estus, a wild grass of the area, and one of the few things that could quench an undead's thirst. Naruto had said he'd once known a man named Estus, and that there was nothing refined about him.

Naruto shook his head and slid his dagger beneath his mattress. What were they covering today in class? Hopefully something practical. He'd yet to get himself into a situation that required a Kawarimi so could not attest to its effectiveness. As far as he knew none had his agility in the other world, more than once he'd leapt up to a rooftop and watched the hollows below scramble around in circles. His half-dead bunshin, while very effective bait, had not much other application.

More to the issue, what day was it. Did he even have the academy today? Either way, he needed supplies, and some food. And he needed his goddamn Bandit Knife. Naruto yanked it and its holster from their hiding places and fastened it to his leg, feeling his weight shift perceptibly. Still Naruto felt a little too light. He would have to manage, he supposed. He left his house, walked to the academy.

It was… Strained. Naruto was on edge. He sat still in his chair as best he could, trying and failing to listen to Iruka go on about Konoha's delicate relationship with Iwa, the village hidden in earth. Relevant, yes. Interesting or applicable, no. He found himself eyeing the door and the window, considering leaping from both with equal enthusiasm. It was too quiet. Too… Easy.

Though Naruto didn't notice, the class was on edge as well. Expecting their loudest, orangest student to up and explode in a ball of paint and stinkbombs at the slightest provocation. He hadn't spoken up for three days. The first he'd been visibly shaken, checking over his shoulders every minute or so. The second, he had this air over him. As if he were prepared to, at a moment's notice, pull up a nearby student as a human shield. Now, there was an eerie calm over him. It was too different, too soon. No one changed that fast - barring trauma and drugs and the kind. His calm left an empty feeling to the room, it left people's ears ringing, straining to hear a voice that just _wasn't_ and it made them uncomfortable.

Finally, Naruto had had enough. He raised his hand, asked politely, and stepped outside for a trip to the bathroom that lasted all day.

-(:=:)-

* * *

The Taurus Demon met its end quietly, something Naruto took vindictive pleasure in.

It hefted its axe around and crashed down on him, but there was nothing as the dust settled. A blade sunk in its neck, the muscle relaxed and pliable in its apparent victory. Naruto twisted his grip, and the slightly curved blade nicked the spinal cord. It dropped in an instant, axe clattering down over the edge of the battlement.

He wasn't quite elated. It bore no significance, anymore. None to share the victory with. Naruto stood and pulled his knife from the wound with no real aplomb, wiped it clean and sheathed it. Across the path, the other tower, leading down to the bridge.

As Naruto exited the base of the tower, a locked door leading further down into the township across from him, he instead turned right onto a balcony of sorts, sunlight having caught his eye. A knight waited there, at the edge of the balcony overlooking a blanket of clouds miles down. A white tunic over thick iron, a straightsword at his hip, and a roundshield painted with an orange sun slung over his back. Naruto called out to him.

"Oh?" The knight turned, the slit on his helmet centering on Naruto. The sun on his shield was also painted on the chest of his armor, it seemed. He was a squat sort of figure. Something about him was… disarming. Naruto found himself standing straighter, settling on the balls of his feet, relaxing his shoulders. "You're no hollow, are you." The man said, with a jovial, light sort of voice.

"Not at the moment, no." Naruto called, and moved closer, approaching the edge of the walkway. A low railing ringed the edge of the balcony, beyond it the rest of the mountain sloped steeply down into nothing, and spreading far below and into the distance a patchy layer of clouds. Through that, bits of land, green, brown, black. It was all he could see, to the end of the sky. They were the highest things for a great many miles. "And neither are you, it seems."

"Indeed not." Said the knight. "Perhaps an introduction is in order. I am Solaire of Astoria, and adherent to the Lord of Sunlight. Now that I am undead, I have come to this land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to find my very own sun." The way he said it, it sounded almost rehearsed.

There was quite a lot in that Naruto did not understand. He wanted to ask immediately, but he instead considered for a moment. "I am Naruto. Of Konoha, I suppose." Naruto stepped back from the edge of the balcony, feeling a wave of vertigo sweep over him. "I am not undead, at the moment. Neither do I have as grand a purpose. But I wonder if I may ask something of you."

Solaire chuckled. The way he did, it was a big, from-the-belly sort of thing where he leaned back, made Naruto smile without realizing. "No need to dance around the subject. Come, ask what you will, and I will answer."

"You spoke of The Lord of Sunlight, of Lord Gwyn… " Oh how to phrase this, Naruto thought. Would he be offended? Those of faith were hard to predict, in this land especially. Was he a zealot? Naruto would know shortly. "I don't know of these things."

"Surely you know the tales?" Solaire seemed genuinely affronted, though there was still the air of affability that hung over him.

"I know how to hold a dagger." Naruto said. "Near nothing else, of this place at least."

"Here I'd thought you from the east, the only lands untouched by the covenant of Sunlight. But for your hair that is. Why we could be brothers, my boy." Solaire laughed again. It was contagious. Naruto resisted on principle. Sort of. "Lord Gwyn," Solaire began, "one of the four great lords, was birthed in the city of Anor Londo. Likely you have seen it, its walls, on the peak of this mountain, have you not?"

"City?" Naruto said. "I did not think it that large. Stronghold, perhaps."

"Ah." Solaire hummed, bemused, and seemed to truly look Naruto over for the first time. "Have you not traveled from the west? That is the only way up this mountain. Surely you did not scale this?" Solaire gestured to the sheer, almost floating drop before them, and the layer of clouds below. "Why I grow faint just thinking of it."

"I take it there is more of Anor Londo on the western side of this mountain?" Naruto returned.

"Indeed so. Though perhaps it is only grand in my mind. It is there that Lord Gwyn came into being. And it is there that I, and all true adherents to the Lord of Sunlight aim to travel now in these dark times." The knight went quiet, turned back to watch the clouds. Naruto had many questions, but something in the knight's posture made him hold his tongue.

"Oh, haven't run off yet?" said Solaire, turning to him again. "Well, in that case I have a proposition for you, if you are willing to hear me out."

Naruto heard him out. His impression of the man never wavering. Some people, rarely, very rarely, were the sort to hold onto good will, and smile despite the world. In this rotten degenerate place of death and madness Solaire seemed a proverbial light in the dark. He handed Naruto a stick of white wax to better leave his signs, told him it seemed to glow in these troubled days, and told him should he ever need an able sword, he need only look for his sign.

Looking for his very own sun, thought Naruto. Well. If he wanted a sun he need only look in a mirror. For now, Naruto turned back to the locked door near the bridge.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"Hey, you! You there!"

The man seemed to be stuck in a barrel, tied up as well by the rope looped over his shoulders. He was in a room full of barrels. The storage room of a distillery, likely, before the darksign came to Lordran. Now it had fallen into disrepair. Moss and mold of a variety of colors grew on a few barrels here and there, and the wood floor was dark green more than brown. Two skeletons rested to his left in their own barrels.

Naruto shushed him frantically. _You fool there is an ogre in the rafters_ _just outside this room _he really wished he could say. How the thing got up there was beyond him, but the moment he set foot in this glorified catacomb he was reminded of that feeling of walking through spiderwebs. That frantic surety of _oh god it's in my hair, _only instead of in his hair it was all around him.

He'd picked the lock of that door on the battlement, and slid down a ladder for seemingly hours. He had emerged from the base of that tower in the middle of a town, framed by two stone walls running along either side. Rabid dogs roamed the street, and started after him the moment they inhaled. Hollows with daggers and shields custom made for parrying emerged from houses and behind wooden planks. Naruto solved this crisis by leaping to a rooftop, once again very thankful that, as of yet, none could keep up with him.

He moved by roof until he came to iron bars blocked the way any further. By ground at least. Naruto considered continuing on, there was still a little left of the town before he reached the end of the wall protecting this town. But there was an important looking door down there. Thick reinforced iron, hinges still intact.

There'd been burnt red husks of men roaming around, down a set of stairs behind that important looking door. He had faced them before, on the way to the Taurus. Alone, they were nothing. All mad full power swings, if he stepped back they knocked themselves over. In groups, though, they surrounded and cornered and overpowered. He distracted them by virtue of throwing a chunk of brick and watched them scramble over each other.

Naruto slipped down the stairs and passed them as quietly as he could. He was on a wooden platform of sorts, overlooking a stone floor below. Naruto slid behind one of the support beams poking up into the ceiling. He peered around and eyed the… butcher on the floor below. It was a big, filthy looking thing, wailing away at a hunk of meat on a workbench. Wearing only a stained apron. That was not the problem. The problem was the gigantic butcher knife, and the very human looking figure being worked into pieces. Naruto wanted none of that. He slid over to the end of the platform, as far from that thing as he could. Over the edge was a thin strip of floor, running along the wall with an open doorway at one end and a blind turn at the other. The rest of that level seemed to have collapsed, and was flooded with standing, fetid water.

Naruto slipped through the railing near the doorway, and happened by chance to notice in his peripheral that there was another, equally large butcher standing in the rafters far above him. _How_? Why? Did it see him - clearly not or it would have moved. Was it stuck? They were inside and there was not much light, likely his matte black armor had saved him yet again. Still his heart was pounding away. That cleaver was too large to parry and he did not carry a shield, if it came to blows he would likely be in for an interesting experience.

So Naruto slid inside and found a man with _zero_ situational awareness. Shush. Shush damn you. Did you hear a battle? Keep it up and you will.

"Please! Help me! They intend to eat me, please do not leave me here!"

Naruto heard a groan, and a creaking thud behind him. He moved as fast as he could and took cover behind one of the barrels near the door, if he was lucky it hadn't seen him.

The butcher pondered in almost casually, arms hanging limply at its sides. It surveyed the room, not even looking behind it. Naruto poked his head up. The butcher was a big thing, slabs of muscle under charred skin. When its attention finally turned to the man who had called for help, it started towards him, and Naruto emerged behind it. He sunk his blade into its back, switched grips, and tore across horizontally. It fell and did not rise.

Naruto straightened and looked pointedly at the man. "Well?" He said, perhaps too harshly. "Have any others you'd like to call?"

As if on cue, the other butcher came in swinging, still dripping from its run through the collapsed floor. Naruto barely had time to face it before a blow knocked him back. He rolled with the force and came up on his feet, a weeping gash across the chest of his armor. Naruto thought back to his training with Madoc. The larger the opponent, the larger their reach, and the further from the grip of the sword, the greater the momentum. Do not hesitate. Get inside their guard. Stay close.

The butcher reared back in preparation for a diagonal slash. Naruto moved in, leaning back and letting the blade graze down his front and sink into the floor. He stabbed its side, switched into a reverse grip and tore out through its stomach. It reacted as he expected. It tensed in pain, and released the blade lodged in the floor, throwing a blind backhand at him. Naruto drifted beneath the arm, sunk his blade back into the open wound and, as he moved across to its other side, disemboweled it completely, putting his entire weight into the movement to part the thick muscle.

Viscera and tar poured from the rend on its front, but still it didn't fall. It reached for Naruto now, almost drunkenly. He grabbed the wrist, cringing at the sickly texture of the thing, pulled, putting it off balance, and sank his knife straight through its throat. The hand clenched then went still, and Naruto let the butcher fall off his knife. He looked to the man stuck in the barrel, feeling slightly woozy but unmistakably alive.

Then he checked behind him again. To be sure. And flailed back, bumping into a barrel as a group of hollows in rags poured in through the doorway swinging chipped blades and lit sputtering torches. Naruto thought back again to his training as best he could, backpedaling yet again as one dashed forward blindly. What had Madoc said? Likely to avoid this situation at all cost. Confined quarters with great numbers, yes, that was actually what he had said. Do not do this, young Naruto.

_Bottleneck_, he realized as the last hollow stumbled into the room. Good job brain.

Naruto's adrenaline kicked in again. Nine in total, two with torches. One with a broken straightsword lunged at him, Naruto sidestepped and gutted it as it passed. The rest all closed slowly. Two broke formation and lunged for him. Naruto moved on one as it was rearing back, pushing the elbow even further into the backswing and sinking his knife into its gut. He kicked it off his blade into the other charging hollow, and as it tripped and stumbled past he tore out its neck, its torch clattering down and rolling against a barrel that quickly began to smoke.

The other six charged. Naruto readied himself as best he could. The first one to close raised its torch too far back for the swing, leaving it with no guard. Naruto moved and slit its throat in a flash, and pushed the body back, knocking one over and stumbling another. One hollow closed from the side, hunched over for a full bodied tackle. Naruto rolled over it back-to-back, stabbing it in the spine as he landed and letting it tear itself off the blade. He parried the wild slash of another with his free hand. One scored a large gash on his side and fell with a torn out throat. Another slashed across his back and lost an arm. Another nearly stabbed him in the collar, and Naruto twisted it into a submission hold that ended when a sword clipped his ear.

The end of the battle found Naruto bloodied and bowed but alive, standing in a pile of dried corpses. He turned to the man in the barrel, who by the way his mouth seemed to move had likely been shouting at him the whole time. Smoke hung over everything, to his right a few barrels had gone up and he likely did not have long before it consumed them all.

Naruto checked behind him once more, found nothing, and hoped the man was worth the trouble.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"_Unsavory_?" Naruto said the word like he'd never pronounced it before. Laurentius seemed to withdraw into himself, whether from the shadow of their first encounter or previous experience with poor company Naruto wasn't sure. "Unsavory? _Pyromancy_?"

"Well, it's…" His face sort of scrunched up as he thought; reminding Naruto of someone he couldn't quite place but had the vaguest sense of familiarity with. "It's considered to be, well, brutish and, uncivilized. By the other magics. Pyromancers, we're, well, looked down on, as it were. By society even." In society's defense Laurentius was dressed in the traveling robes of his homeland, the Great Swamp, and seemed to all casual observation to be the King of the Rats out for a jaunt; all burnt, tattered brown cloth and tribal-necklaces made of teeth. But then he opened his mouth and the illusion shattered. He had a way about him, a hesitant bumbling sort of quality that made him inexplicably endearing.

"Pyromancy, you see," Laurentius continued, "isn't… mental. Rather," He floundered for the right word, looking around the shrine as though he might find it there etched in stone. "People study for years, _ages_, to use sorceries. Sorcery is a science at heart, you see. Clerics, miracle users, commit themselves so thoroughly to their faith they rarely leave their temples but for pilgrimage and crusade. And Pyromancers…"

He chuckled weakly. "Pyromancy is… shared. A student may surpass their master in days. In weeks. Or they may fall prey to their own flame in an instant. These things give it an… unrefined quality. I owe you a great debt, friend. I would like share my pyromancies with you. That is, unless…"

"…You are worried that I might find _hurling fire_ at my foes _unsavory_?"

-(:=:)-

* * *

"I have never seen a flame like that." Said Laurentius, breathless.

Naruto felt the same, likely. There was a sense of elation he hadn't felt in a long while, like he had just accomplished something, something meaningful. A marble of flame danced in his palm, a deep, brooding red, so rich it bordered on violet. He could stare at it for hours. Days. Just watch it flicker in the dark. But for now he glanced up at Laurentius.

"How do I use this?"

"… Hm? Uh. Yeah. Right." The man seemed to shake from a daze, and opened his own palm, a vibrant orange flame blooming there. "Uh. Pyromancy is, instinctual. Mostly. Some pyromancies can be taught, guided at least. Others have to be discovered. For now, we will start as my master started me. Basic combustion."

Laurentius inched himself back from Naruto a bit, not rising from his cross-legged position. He held his hand up, and abruptly a jut of flame burst from his palm, throwing harsh shadows across firelink shrine even in the daylight. If Naruto was surprised he didn't show it, though his flame did quiver noticeably.

"Your flame is a part of you." Laurentius began. "There is a fragment of my own flame, yes, but it is no longer mine. It is yours. You can… _feel_ it. Can't you? The same way you might feel your hand without touching it. You know it's there. It's yours." His voice was even, his words paced smoothly, confidently, softly. He seemed to be thinking back on something the way his eyes unfocused, glazed over slightly. A good memory, perhaps. "It's _you_."

Naruto nodded. Feel it? Of course he could. Warmth, a soft weight, a presence. And if he relaxed, he could almost feel… Strings, some tangible force tethering the flame to his palm. As he thought on it they seemed like arteries. The thought of the flame being removed made him cringe, as though it would draw blood.

"It is part of you. It may grow strong, or weak. It may tire. But it will not fade unless in death. You may take it within yourself." Laurentius closed his hand, the flame vanishing beneath his fingers. "Some pyromancies require this. Some that I intend to show on you. But for now, feel for your flame. It may be moved, shaped, just as you may shape yourself." Laurentius brought out his flame again. "Well, I've gone on long enough. Go on."

Was it really that simple, Naruto wondered. Did it function as a muscle, a limb? Learn to control it, and theoretically any Pyromancy was within his reach? Dexterity and strength would be his only restrictions, metaphorically speaking. However it went about growing, he would ask in a moment. Naruto… _flexed_ his flame, for lack of a better word. Where before it was a marble, now it was roughly the size of his palm.

"Something I have been wondering," Naruto began, twitching his fingers as he tried, with varying degrees of success to make his flame move and dance, "I met a Pyromancer not long ago, a young woman. She seemed to… Tire. It is difficult to describe. It was as if she used her own strength as kindling, she could scarcely stand when she finally shooed me off."

"Ah," Laurentius nodded, "something I asked as a student as well. I am sorry to say there are only theories. My master ever the superstitious man claimed Pyromancy drew warmth from the soul. He warned me often of overexerting myself. Worried I might… burn myself out, as it were." Quite the contrary, thought Naruto, Laurentius seemed to grow more human by the moment; his stern features softening as he carried on. "Indeed, if the legends of Izalith are true, there are pyromancies that draw from your… well, your humanity."

"As for me, well." Laurentius looked to his flame for a moment. "I believe Pyromancy draws from will. From resolve. To tame fire is no easy task, you see. It's a wild thing. Reckless. Restless. It will consume you if you allow it. If you fear it. Yet, if you have the strength to hold it within yourself, make it a part of yourself, you need never fear being overcome."

Naruto agreed with Laurentius, partially. There was no sense of resistance from the fire. Rather it obeyed his every whim, problem was he could not make it do much else than twitch. And there was some exertion there, as it sputtered. As if he were clenching a muscle, one that would tire, become sore, grow. Laurentius was a practiced pyromancer, perhaps his was a different sort of exertion. Perhaps it was unique from one pyromancer to another. He would likely never know for sure.

Naruto let out a breath, and curled his fingers. A plume of flame burst up from his palm. Only his forarm in length, it was nonetheless an accomplishment that he took pride in, even though he was not quite sure what he had done. There was an aspect of beauty to it. Deep red curling up, warmth falling over his face and shoulders. Naruto truly realized in that moment what Laurentius likely assumed he had known the moment flame first bloomed upon his palm. His fire was truly a part of him.

"You said something of pyromancies… of the body." Naruto said. "Might we dabble in those?"

Laurentius smiled.

-(:=:)-


	3. 3

Naruto woke screaming. He choked it off as best he could, rolled onto his side and panted through his teeth. That… What the hell was that? He'd been on that bridge, dagger drawn, flame palmed. Across the way, an open portcullis. There were hollows in armor on the bridge. Not many, five or six. Some with crossbows, others with spears and shields. But they hadn't noticed him yet.

Then a roar echoed from far above. A shadow fell over him. He didn't have time to look up. Fire crashed down over him like a tsunami, hurled him like a child's toy. He couldn't remember how long it had lasted. Seconds. Minutes. Only that when it finally, mercifully ended, he pushed himself up on his knees. And with what strength he had left drew his knife across his throat.

He still shook, cold sweat beading on his brow. God the pain. Anything to end that pain. He didn't know he could hurt like that, that it was even possible. Water. He needed water. He rose and stumbled to his sink. The tatters of his leather armor slid from his shoulders, the warped chainmail beneath hanging on by just a few links.

He slurped from a chipped mug. How long had he been there this time. Three days. Laurentius taught him what he could, the basics, the foundation. Naruto had thought himself ready. Hah, ready.

Naruto chuckled to himself, feeling his hands jitter. What a god forsaken place Lordran was.

He laughed louder still. The shadow of Lord Gwyn drew honorable men to those walls, only to run them through when their backs were turned. When they dared to rest their shields. What sort of Lord was he? Pathetic.

Naruto cackled, tossed his shoulders back and lost himself. He was still alive. He would be back. He came to a realization then.

The first: Konoha was his home. He had forgotten, after so much time in that other world. He was training to be a ninja, here, wasn't he? To what ends? Defend his village. Defend himself. He'd had a purpose, once. Something that started a fire in his gut and drove him to the academy and _held_ him there, even when he was confused or struggling or angry.

But now… Was it just a job. Was it money, power, curiosity. He _knew_ in the other world. His occupation was _staying the hell alive. _He could do that, he _had_ been doing that - admittedly with varying degrees of success. But Konoha… Naruto realized that he needed to decide which world he was living for. Soon. Eventually. For now… Work with his Pyromancy. His footwork, speed, swordplay. Maybe the academy would faceturn into usefulness in the near future - though he doubted it.

As for the immediate present. Naruto rested his mug on the counter and turned to a window. It was still dark, but soon the sun would rise, shops would open.

And he would eat food.

-(:=:)-

* * *

They'd had a bowl waiting. Well, more likely a pot waiting. Did they make in batches? He wasn't sure. Still, the man called to him and he felt obligated to walk in, part the sheets of fabric and take a seat on one of the six stools before the bar. Naruto remembered bits and pieces. He used to eat there all the time. Literally every day for some reason. He glanced up from his bowl at the man behind the bar, whom was eyeing him with a '_well_?' sort of expression.

"It's been days. I thought you'd try to drown yourself in it." The man said, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead with a rag. He leaned onto his elbows, drawing eye to eye. There was a bit of concern there, Naruto could tell. Behind the smile. "Naruto," he chuckled, "you haven't forgotten about us have you? You promised that even after you became a ninja you'd still stop by to chat."

Before Naruto could reply a voice called from behind the counter. "Did I hear Naruto?" A young woman in an apron bounded out, took one look at their customer, and all but ran around to pull him up in a hug and shake him. Naruto admittedly tried to gut her in his surprise, and was at the moment fortunate that his knife was in dire need of repair and currently hidden beneath his mattress.

She pulled back to arm length and eyed him, a lock of brown hair slipping from her bandana and falling in front of her eyes. Immediately it came back to him. Ichiraku Ramen, the only restaurant willing to serve him with a smile. Shit what was her name. Sakura?

"And just what have you been up to that's so important you couldn't stop by to say hello, huh?"

Naruto near took offense at her tone. It was sort of… patronizing. Like she was scolding a child and didn't want to come off as too harsh. Still she seemed genuine, and that softened the blow. Iruka? No, her name definitely wasn't Iruka.

Her eyes narrowed without any real anger. "Well?"

Uh. "Ninja things?"

She made a phlegmy sort of noise and hugged him again. "You know how long I've gone without hugging you? Like three days. That's forever. Literally years. _Literally_."

No it most certainly wasn't. He was about to correct her hyperbole when she pulled back again and plopped him back in his seat. Then spun him to face his bowl of ramen. "Well. Eat up. I'll finish up in back and we'll talk. Oh such _talking_ will we do."

She vanished behind the counter. The man turned back to his work. Naruto looked down to the bowl. Steaming broth. _Things_. It smelled like salt. But it was calming. The stall was calming. Quiet. There were no other customers yet. The chef had a gentle look on his face, motions smooth and measured. It felt private, secure. He felt… safe. Truly safe for the first time in what seemed weeks. It put him on edge.

You know I could kill you, Naruto almost said. He wanted to say. It was almost a compulsion, anything to get that complacent expression off the chef's face. That expression was the end of people. But he didn't say it. So many people in this village could kill you, me. We would fall not knowing what we'd done. Who they were. Not knowing why.

Likely the man already knew, had made peace with it. The girl, well. Maybe she didn't like to think about it. Maybe it never occurred to her. Still they went about their lives, earning what living they could by the sweat of their brow. Knowing, not knowing, that one moment it could end. Abruptly. At the whim of some killer they'd never known or met, and they would be powerless to stop it.

It frightened him. Deeply. Was that why he'd decided to be a ninja? What a stupid reason. What a stupid, immature reason. Did he want to be a hero? A villain? A knight in shining armor? Nothing made sense.

Naruto didn't notice the chef glance up now and then in concern, as expressions drifted over Naruto's face, darkened, twisted. Finally Naruto dug into his meal. It was only lukewarm, too salty. Not enough green onions. The noodles were a bit rubbery, and he hadn't used chopsticks in so long that he spilled on himself more often than not. All in all it was the best damn thing he'd had in weeks.

The girl returned from the back room, let her hair down as she sat beside him. She talked and he listened, for the most part. She was too fast, too energetic. He couldn't keep up anymore, didn't have the mannerisms. She plowed right through his quiet reserve, the polite pauses he left for interruption. He felt like he was caught in a whirlwind.

And the way she laughed, smiled. The way her eyes crinkled. She was so open he found himself daring to drop his guard. Ayame. Her name was Ayame. And the chef, his name was Teuchi. They were good people. And Naruto found himself thinking more than once;

He wouldn't mind protecting them.

Naruto left for the academy some time later, when Ayame finally let him end the conversation politely. He was late. Hours late, but Iruka didn't make an issue of it for some reason. A few students here and there said something, a complaint from a boy with a dog on his head. A girl with pink hair joked, a few laughed, Iruka quieted them. All in all it felt odd being the mature one.

He took his seat, got a feel for what they were covering. More on bordering nations, politics and the like. Things of no interest to him. Still he aimed to make the most of his time in Konoha. As he sat he felt for his flame, and attempted one of the body pyromancies Laurentius had instructed him in. Imaginatively called Iron Flesh, the purpose was largely self-explanatory. The methods on the other hand were not, it had taken him hours of constant trial and error to finally succeed. "Actualize your inner self," Laurentius had said. What stupidly simple advice.

And the results had been astounding. He turned silver. His dagger drew sparks on his skin when he gave an experimental cut. Fire washed over him like glorified hot air, something Laurentius hadn't been keen on demonstrating. Downside was he felt like he'd swallowed a boulder. Like there were five hims standing on his shoulders. He could heave himself along at a brisk jog, jump about as high as Laurentius himself. He could move his arms like no tomorrow but he was leaping nowhere.

An interesting side effect of the increased mass was his ability to grab a hollow by the sword hand and smash it on a wall without bowling himself over. It would break close combat. That much was immediately clear. Still, he liked his agility, and couldn't very well go trudging around weighing five Narutos permanently. That got him thinking about his - at times crippling - lack of a shield.

It was with this in mind that Naruto attempted to turn his right arm to iron, and barring that at least reduce the crucial seconds it took to complete the Pyromancy. The thought of blocking a sword with his bare forearm made him slightly giddy.

He placed his hand beneath his desk as Iruka drew in the last of a map on the chalkboard and carried on lecturing. Naruto's fingers grew heavy, dull silver inching down his hand and vanishing into the sleeve of his jumpsuit. Then Iruka snapped at Kiba about something and his concentration slipped. His chair gave an ominous groan and Naruto quickly killed the technique.

The rest of the class dragged its feet. Naruto made good progress. The disturbances that popped up now and then couldn't quite stand in for the unpredictable adrenaline-laced nature of real combat, but it was a fine alternative for ironing out the kinks. Occasionally he looked up as a student spoke, saw if he could remember their name, things about them. No, as it turned out, not really. He finally matched Laurentius to the timid white-eyed girl in the second row. So… silver lining, he supposed.

Iruka asked him to hang back when class ended. Naruto no longer rushed to leave, so remained sitting. He had time. He waited patiently as the class filtered out, working with the few precious seconds he had left to flash his arm to iron and back as fast as he could. Then the last student left, a boy with sunglasses, and Naruto approached Iruka's desk.

Iruka opened his mouth, seemed to mull something over, then sighed. "Is everything alright, Naruto?"

Actually yes. He'd managed to just turn just his arm iron successfully the past fifteen or so attempts. Now all he had to work on was the speed – hopefully with a few more hours of polish he could react at a moment's notice, as he might with a shield. "I have no complaints." Naruto said, simply.

Iruka looked almost disappointed. He seemed to gather resolve for a moment and carried on. "I… You haven't been quite yourself lately. I was hoping, maybe you'd just… grown out of it. But. I. I noticed you're not paying attention in class, Naruto. You're not speaking up. You're not… doing anything. I'm worried that…"

What in the various hells was the man talking about, Naruto wondered. He was himself, as he'd always been. Of course he would stop with that pranking, shouting nonsense; it was doing him no favors. Of course he would focus on more important things, what good would politicking do him? What good would knowing dates and names do him? Cover _threats_, cover techniques. His dagger was indisposed at the moment, cover hand-to-hand. Cover something he could _use_.

"I have not given up, if that is what you are implying." Naruto replied diplomatically. "I have simply decided to focus on more… practical aspects."

"Practical? You were staring at your desk the entire session." Iruka still had that disappointed tone that grated on Naruto's every nerve. "I'm not saying this because I'm upset - or to teach you a lesson or vent or some silly reason – graduation is in two days, Naruto. I just…" Iruka slouched back into his chair. "Is there anything I can do? To help? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Naruto blinked. "Graduation?"

"Yes, _graduation_." Iruka visibly reined in his frustration. "Naruto… You can't. This might be the _last_ time you can try. I want to help you. I really do. If you need my help, you _have_ it. Do you understand?"

It was not that complicated. "Yes." A moment passed, one with an odd feel to it as Naruto expected Iruka to say something, and Iruka likely hoped he would say something. Another moment passed, and Naruto felt it safe to politely excuse himself.

"Good day, Iruka."

Iruka didn't stop him as he left, and Naruto found himself walking along the dirt, houses and shops all around him. He looked up at the mountain behind the village and felt himself drawn there. As he leaped closer, he remembered how he'd always gone there before, above the second Hokage's head, to rest his mind and watch the stars.

The sun was still out now, early in the afternoon as it was. Still he wouldn't mind passing an hour or two away from civilization. He stepped out to the face of the cliff and sat, feet dangling over the edge. Konoha stretched out below him, the walls circling it. Beyond that, the thick forests that gave Konoha its name seemed to cover the entirety of the world; when the breeze swayed them it seemed as though Konoha were afloat in an ocean of vibrant green.

It reminded him of Lordran. Sort of. Konoha was… No, actually they seemed to both pose their own dangers. He was sheltered here, at the moment. Likely not for much longer. There had already been three wars, there would be a fourth. It was inevitable. Then there was his career as a Ninja. Sadly he had only preconceptions, propaganda. More likely it was dirty. He would see, assuming he passed. What had the tests been? Simple, as he thought on it. Pathetically simple, now that he bothered to work. He would pass. He would see.

Naruto fell back, resting his head in the grass. He felt he'd earned a moment of rest. He focused on the wind between his toes, ruffling his hair. Focused on the sun on his face. He drifted away and soon he lost himself. An image of Solaire rose in his mind. Looking for your own sun? Well… he could see the appeal in that.

-(:=:)-

* * *

It was waiting for Naruto when he arrived at the bridge.

A dragon. A real, breathing dragon. He couldn't help but gape across the bridge at the great thing, perched on the portcullis wall. It was a nasty looking beast, all red scales and spikes. And it had a clear path at him with no obstructions. It could probably see him now - partially hidden as he was, but still it just sat there, rumbling.

The only possibility for passing it without a battle was what looked like a staircase leading beneath the bridge about halfway across. It would see him coming the moment he stepped out from inside the tower. He had repaired his armor as best he could, though charred and held together by wire as it was it wouldn't prove much of a defense.

Naruto sat back on the stairs behind him and calmed himself. Then he took a deep breath, formed the necessary seal and created a bunshin. It was only three quarters dead this time; the hair was even the right color. Mostly. If he squinted.

It walked out, out of his field of view. He dared to look after it a few moments later. It was a quarter of the way down the bridge. The dragon was eyeing it but strangely not acting. Instead it seemed to coil down onto the wall tighter. His bunshin stumbled along further still. It passed the stairs. It was then, the moment its foot touched down that it vanished in a plume of fire. Shit it was still burning… like napalm.

Still, it had made it that far. Naruto sent out another bunshin, peered out after it. Again, as it passed the stairs it immediately and ruthlessly dispelled. Would it just let him go? Naruto steeled his nerves and stepped out of the battlement tower, out onto the bridge. He felt for his flame and cast Iron Flesh, whatever good it would do him.

His boots were too damn loud. Every step echoed and it seemed to rear back and inhale just a bit more, waiting for him to do something stupid. It felt like an eternity. By the time he reached the stairs, relieved that they were indeed stairs, his heart was pounding so hard he was having trouble breathing. It would just let him sneak beneath it? Did it even know? Naruto looked at the dragon as he descended. It wasn't even looking at him anymore.

He ended up beneath the bridge, on a stone walkway littered with support struts. He weaved through them, reached the wall. Then he climbed up, using what few stones that protruded as handholds, and pushed himself up onto the bridge, the dragon's massive head hovering above him. He snuck in past the open portcullis, glad to put the dragon behind him for the moment, and continued on.

The path led up. Soon a soldier blocked his path. Naruto was unarmed, his dagger still chipped and warped beyond usefulness. Had he been able to get hold of a kunai he would have slept with it sheathed. Further, there were no places to slink along unnoticed, no pillars to cover behind, and with that dragon behind him he didn't dare take to the wall - the phantom pain shook him for a moment and he quickly put the memory behind him. Still, he could handle himself against simple soldiers. There was no point in misdirection, nothing to gain by skirting the threat.

The soldier charged. Naruto caught the sword in his hand, broke its grip with his other. Then he took the sword, kicked its shield aside and ran it through.

Further up the path widened. Hollow soldiers littered the place. To the right a staircase led up to a series of bridges that hovered over the path, the few archers positioned there drew up their crossbows as they saw him. To the left, a high stone wall. Further up, the path led to an entrance to what looked like a church, a bell tower rose from the back of it.

Arrows _tinked _off his collarbone and neck. Swords chipped on his arms, slid off his gut, some outright shattered on impact. Naruto dealt only deathblows in response. As the hollows staggered off balance from their rebuked strikes, swift, accurate slashes flew just beneath the chin guards of their helmets.

As the archers reloaded their crossbows, Naruto lifted his hand and smashed them off their perch with heavy jets of flame. One flew in half, the unprotected waist all but vanishing. Another sailed over the far wall trailing smoke. The others pulled daggers and dropped from their perch to charge him. Basic combustion hurled them back as though by a sledgehammer. One took a blast to the chest so severe it flew apart.

As he drew closer to the entrance to the church, one hollow that had been hanging back exerted the most intellect Naruto had ever seen from their kind. It retreated up further, and pulled a lever. Naruto wasn't quite sure of the purpose until a portcullis fell from an arch that he had assumed to be simply aesthetic.

Naruto approached it as the final soldier fell. The thing just looked at him, through the mesh of the gate. With those sunken in empty sockets that passed for eyes. It had been a person once, he knew. A soldier branded by the darksign and driven mad. But that meant nothing to him. It did once, but Madoc had been his one and only lesson, he would be sure of that. Sympathy and understanding got him nothing. There was no cure for them. No bargaining. The bodies littered along his path would rise again soon. All he could do was kill them, again, and again, and again. He was doing them a favor.

The hollow watched through the squares of the gate, unmoving. Sword and shield in hand. Naruto stuck his hand through the thick iron bars and blew the hollow apart. It would not be hindering him for quite some time. Naruto let Iron Flesh fade long enough to jump the gate and enter the church.

The few hollows inside closed at he entered; these ones wore full armor, thick plates covered their vitals and joints, but otherwise left the skin bare for mobility. Tattered red capes fell down their backs and fluttered as they charged. They had skill with the rapiers they carried, too. The first he swung at expertly parried his slash, sending his blade spinning out of his hand, and would have run him through – had the somewhat flimsy rapier not all but collapsed into his chest. When he brought out his flame, splitting his concentration to keep iron flesh active, they hid behind their angular shields.

It didn't do them much good against someone of his capacity. He poured flame over them until the metal glowed orange, and continued further into the church. Through a doorway he came into the main hall. There was no second floor above him anymore, only a high arched ceiling. A row of pews on either side of him. The statue of some god or deity stood ahead, looming over a white marble pedestal.

And there, before the pedestal, was a knight in a gigantic suit of black armor. It stood at least eight feet tall, more than twice his height. In one hand, a massive greatshield. In the other, a flanged mace about as long as he was tall.

It charged.

Naruto was at an impasse. Clearly this was a foe to cut from behind. Already he saw what he needed to do - draw it outside, distract it with a bunshin, strike from above, stab straight down through the collar - in armor that thick it probably couldn't even look up.

But then another thought struck him - yes, whatever amount of good iron flesh would do against blunt force trauma of that magnitude, he wasn't particularly eager to find out - at the same time, he had very little to lose other than a few moments of terrible pain, and so much to gain in testing his limits. He thought fast as it closed and found that there wasn't much to consider.

Naruto squared his jaw, steeled his will and readied for the blow as the armored giant reared back and swung.

It came down on his left shoulder like a meteor. It hurt. Quite a bit. The sound sent his ears ringing. It even almost knocked him over, sent him stumbling to the side before he corrected his footing. The armored giant was put off balance as well, likely having expected him to explode in a cloud of meat. The mace was dented as it drew back.

The next swing came low and fast, smashed into his ribs with a sound like a dropped frying pan. Again the pain, but beneath that was boiling elation. He was… fine? Sure it hurt, it stumbled him, it near deafened him, but he was uninjured. Nothing felt broken. Not even bruised.

Naruto palmed his flame and closed with intent to end it. The giant tried to bash him back with its shield, but Naruto turned his shoulder and met it head on, his mass giving him even footing. A crack split along the shield at the center of impact. He must have looked insane, Naruto thought. A twelve year old child going head to head with an eight foot knight.

He reached around the shield and a jet of fire exploded from his palm into the chest of the giant's armor. The force knocked it back into a pew, but it wasn't injured. Naruto closed as fast as he could while it was unbalanced, aiming to pour fire straight down its visor. As he emerged from shadows of the second floor overhead, into the open air of the main hall, a profane chanting caught his ears. It came from above, the second floor. He had enough speed to turn and watch a bolt of blue light explode in his gut.

It knocked him to his knees, the sheer pain of the thing. Another bolt caught him on his shoulder and he cried out. Iron flesh faded in his pain. He had time to look up, at the trident-wielding hollow on the balcony of the second floor, and get a good look at its armor, before a mace crashed down on his skull.

-(:=:)-

* * *

Naruto woke with a gasp, and worked himself up into a sit with his elbows. He'd gotten cocky, forgotten his surroundings. Again. Well, he would learn. He had time.

He was alive.

He would be back.

But for now, Naruto stood. He had the academy soon. Shower, eat, dress. One more day until graduation, he remembered.

Well... it would be an experience.

-(:=:)-

* * *

_an: r&r, etc. criticism is always welcome. a note: konoha will become more involved as the plot starts to happen. (soonish)._

_an: 1/20/12: per some advice, minor edits to characterization/tone/ninjathink  
_


	4. 4

Blood gushed from his collar, seeped through the fabric of his pantleg, dribbled from his brow. His heart wouldn't slow. His breath wouldn't level. He was so cold. Had he the presence of mind he would have drew his arms to his chest, maybe tried to quell the bleeding. He had the training, though it was limited, all lessons and words that flew from his mind in weakness. Why had he left that grass littered with great stone. Why had he felt the need to explore.

Naruto sat and stared at the thing slavering after him. It had cut him with such abrupt thoughtlessness, such reckless abandon he scarcely had time to move. Even now it scrambled, armor and sword clattering against the wooden beams, trying to squeeze through a space too small for it. More had come already. Following the blood, drawn by the sound. Two others with swords scratched and struck at the wood, drawing back with chunks and splinters.

A sword slashed across his shin and Naruto drew it back with a choked off cry. He inched back further, felt himself come to the end of the path with his fingers. Behind him a craggy drop down the mountainside. In front, withered things in armor came after him, chopping through the wooden scaffold.

A soldier with a spear emerged from a building to his right. Its walk was slow, measured. Support beams fell beneath swords left and right. Naruto curled into himself, felt a sharp wind at his back, a wave of vertigo and nausea sweep up his spine.

Pain in his shoulder. He looked and found the tip of a spear jutting there. At the other end of the shaft, the soldier jerked the spear back. Naruto blinked, the world spun. He tipped back, over the edge of the road into the gorge.

"Naruto?"

Green, blue, brown, grey rock and crags of stone. The sky and mountainside danced around him, drops of blood whipping from the collar of his jumpsuit, wind roaring in his ears.

"Naruto!"

Naruto glanced up from the piece of white wax he'd been turning in his hand. Iruka stood by the doorway, the other students were gone. As he glanced out the windows to his left, he saw the first of them funneling into the grounds behind the academy, approaching the sparring ring; the wooden targets for kunai and shuriken practice nearby.

"Naruto, are you coming?" Iruka said, remarkably patient.

Naruto stood, slipping the wax into his pants pocket. Well… That was a long time ago. Weeks. A month perhaps. Though here it must have only been days. Four. Five. It was difficult to keep track. He followed Iruka out to the grounds, took his place at the back of the students massed there. What were they doing, he wondered.

Iruka told them as though he'd raised his hand and asked. "Alright." The man said warmly, clapping his hands and bringing silence over the group. "Everyone form up around the ring. Yes, Sakura, you too. Ino, I want you to watch _everyone_, not just Sasuke, you hear me? Alright…"

Ah. Sparring practice. If Naruto remembered correctly the exam was tomorrow, maybe some last minute review? Maybe just for fun. It seemed like so long ago that he last stepped inside the ring.

"… ow I don't want anyone stressing or _worrying_ or any of that nonsense. This is _not_ part of the exam. There is _no_ grade, you _cannot_ fail. This is _only_ for your benefit. Shi…"

He'd enjoyed it, if he remembered correctly. Most of the time. Inevitably he would either win through attrition or fall limp in a choke hold, though a few seemed to always effortlessly dodge his swings and give him a pair of frameless sunglasses.

Naruto looked at the boy in a blue shirt and shorts. He was a nasty one. Always stood back, countered in a blur of crippling shots with an air of superiority Naruto couldn't stand. Now, he just looked… sad, angry, Naruto supposed. Now that he bothered to look, consider. Sasuke, Naruto remembered, names and traits of the students all coming back to him in a blur.

"…izuki and I will be reffing, and please remember that this is _not_ the place for underhanded tactics. No throwing dirt, no taunting, no funny business. Outside these walls mislead and demean to your heart's content, but this is for strengthening your basics. Hand to hand _only_. Everyone say it with me."

Kiba, the boy in the fur-lined jacket. Loud, frustrating boy, had the same position on combat as Naruto used to – head on, full force; though he was much more refined. Sakura, Ino, over there in the shade of one of the many trees on the grounds. Sakura… He looked at her for a long moment, noting as she caught his eye that there was some genuine hostility there, for him. If not that then annoyance; distaste.

He found himself looking them over as the matches began, remembering them. Some more than others. He could understand why he'd forgotten them. None of them were particularly special to him, some seemed to actively hate him, some he used to actively hate. Sakura… He remembered her eyes, a glowing vibrant green that made his heart skip a beat every time they crossed paths. Now, though.

Naruto looked over at her as the first match ended; one between a boy in sunglasses and another he didn't recognize. She was pretty. She had a nice smile, a willowy figure. But none of that meant anything to him, no matter how much he tried to dredge up the feeling. That first day back in Konoha he could barely walk. Couldn't stop shaking. Couldn't think. Whenever he looked down he saw the tip of a sword jutting out of his chest. And that feeling, that horrible feeling coiled around his gut and pulled him down to his knees.

"Naruto!"

Naruto looked over at Iruka, drawn from his thoughts.

Iruka gestured into the ring, where Kiba stood waiting, hopping from foot to foot warming up his limbs.

"You're up, Naruto."

Ah, Naruto thought as he stepped into the ring, careful not to scuff the white powder line drawn in the dirt. Kiba then? Seemed Iruka was trying to keep the matches as even as he could.

"Oi, Naruto. You ready to lose?" Kiba goaded from across the twenty foot ring, but his tone was in good sport.

Naruto said nothing, only settled down into a ready stance; right hand open and up, guarding his throat, the left clenched into a loose fist, hovering across his stomach. It would have been clenched around a dagger, hopefully a kunai as soon as he graduated. This was just practice, no place for a blade. Naruto decided to act as though he was holding one, as he would be in real combat. In his mind, he held a blade in a reverse grip.

Iruka clapped once again for attention. Naruto look at him from the corner of his eyes. "You know the rules. Hand to hand, _no_ broken bones. Anyone surrenders; the match is over. Anyone gets seriously injured; the match is over. If either myself or Mizuki step in, the match is over."

"If anyone _sneezes,_ the match is over." Said Kiba, posed like a boxer. "We get it. Let's just start this thing."

Iruka _hmmed_ over at him, then ruined the sentiment as he chuckled. "Alright. Everyone ready? Good. Begin!"

Kiba closed immediately, one arm reeling back for a haymaker. In Naruto's mind though, a hollow was charging him, sword drawn back, shield flared. He felt himself falling back into an abyss of swirling green and blue.

"Dear me." Naruto heard. Felt cool stone at his back. "What a mess they've made of you."

Night now, a bonfire cracking at his side. Madoc across from him, peering into the fire, seeming lost in thought. Naruto felt the fur coat draped over him, wanting but not daring to speak up. He was still weak, bloodied bandages wrapped around his chest, leg, shoulder. Tomorrow, in the daylight. For now he would sleep.

"It is too big for you." Said Madoc, light streaming over his shoulders. Naruto was dazzled by it, by the gleam of his platemail. He looked down at the black leather armor and dagger the man had handed him, not understanding the significance of it. "It will have to do." The man continued. "Lordran is an unforgiving mistress, I would not want you falling before your time." All at once Naruto felt the burning need to declare his superiority. He didn't need any armor. He had his orange jumpsuit. He was fine. He was always fine.

"_Never_ cross swords." Madoc said, it was dusk now, they had been practicing all day. Naruto never ceased to complain, question, frustrate. Madoc never ceased to laugh it off, ruffle his hair. "You ever wonder why we all carry shields? Crossing swords is a fine way to blind yourself. Shrapnel every which way. If you're lucky you'll just chip. If not you'll need a new eye, new sword, or a damn good smith."

"The hell am I supposed to carry a shield for?" Naruto said. "I'll just get them before they get me."

"When they commit to the strike," Madoc said, drawing back with his straightsword and striking slowly in demonstration. "That is when you catch with your shield. Or, I suppose with the flat of your knife. Far be it from me to deny you your death wish."

"You just goddamn try it and we'll see who has a death wish!"

Naruto was on the Taurus now, blood gushing around his knife, through his clenched hands. The Taurus drew Madoc up. Naruto watched, cold disbelief seeping through his chest. The Taurus crushed him, threw him down. Naruto shouted for him, but felt himself drawn back, felt familiar cold stone beneath his boots.

Two days in that shrine before he rose before Madoc in a glow of light. The man said nothing. No quips. No jokes.

"Naruto!"

Now Naruto was in the battlement, Madoc trailing behind, the Taurus atop the tower across from them, waiting. Then pain. Pain. He looked down, blood dribbling from his mouth. Looked at the sword protruding there. Then a boot kicked him off. He pushed himself up, backed against the wall. Madoc closed. Deranged. A groan echoed through his visor, a dry creaking sound. Naruto screamed, roared at him to stop. Just please stop, please. Please.

"Naruto stop you're killing him! _Naruto_!"

Iruka was prying at his arm. Mizuki was at his back, arm around his neck in a chokehold. Kiba was beneath him, face palid, eyes slowly rolling back. Naruto was choking him, right hand around his neck. Naruto could feel his pulse. It was slow. So slow. Naruto had used Iron Flesh. Iruka could pry all he wanted. Mizuki could strain all he wanted.

Then all at once the significance of the situation hit him, and Naruto pulled back as though burned, leapt back off of Kiba's prone form. Mizuki all but flew off of him, Iruka stumbled up and to the side before quickly attending to Kiba as the boy jerked, sputtered and gasped. Naruto blinked, looked around. The other students were pale, some frightened, others angry, surprised. Mizuki took him by the arm and tried to pull him aside. Tried. Naruto glanced at him, a moment later letting Iron Flesh fade and the man drag him off.

"I'm not going to lie to you." Mizuki said, the class drawing out of earshot. "You're not in trouble for harming a student." He looked at Naruto over his shoulder. "You're in trouble for doing it without permission. Understand?"

Yes. They were killers in training, all of them. Naruto understood. He finally understood what he'd done, what had happened. He'd gotten lost in his head. It wouldn't happen again, he would be sure of that. Still…

"As for your technique, whatever that was." Ah there it was, Naruto thought and winced. "There will be words. In time. For now, well."

Mizuki released Naruto as they exited the academy training grounds and emerged onto public roads. "Go home."

Naruto looked over at him, question evident in his posture.

"Come tomorrow." Said Mizuki, his normally lax expression remaining uncharacteristically stern. "Take the exam. You are not out of the running. Just remember. Iruka and myself are your _superiors_. We tell you to back off, you _back off_. Get it?"

Something about Mizuki seemed to emanate genuine hatred. Not disappointment. Mizuki hated him, Naruto thought. Now, at least. Or maybe he always had, and had just hidden it.

"Yes. I get it." Naruto said, and started towards his apartment building.

Mizuki called after him bitterly. "Don't ever forget that again."

"Ah." Naruto called back, mostly for himself. "I won't."

* * *

-(:=:)-

* * *

Were it capable of deductive reason, the trident wielding hollow might have taken interest as the massive knight guarding the pedestal moved to investigate a commotion and never returned. When Naruto entered the main hall of the church after, blue bolts of light chased him behind pillars and pews for cover. Tens of withered men with rags and broken swords charged down the staircase, drawn by the sound of sorceries shattering wood and marble.

They closed, and the trident wielding hollow died assured of its victory. The tip of a sword burst out through the front of its armor, and a boot kicked it off the blade, over the edge of the balcony.

Naruto's bunshin dashed outside the moment the barrage of blue cut off, taking the other hollows with it. The real Naruto turned back and started towards a ladder that led to the roof of the church. What he found there, as he stepped from the lip of a doorway onto crumbling shingles, took his breath away for a moment.

What were those things. Bodies like those of fullgrown lions, long whiplike tails ending in ax heads and wings made of chipped stone. Five of them were spread along the rooftop, the shingles beneath and around them soaked in dried blood; glimmering like tar beneath the sun. Naruto was surprised they hadn't begun to decompose. Their skin was a pale grey, likely they had bled out long ago.

He looked up at the bell tower, stepped out onto the roof of the church and approached the base, noting the occasional squelch of his boot as he did.

-(:=:)-

* * *

"The belltower?" Said Laurentius, "well… what is there to be said. I only know bits and pieces of this place, I was driven here by… circumstance. I only have the word of the occasional traveler. I would not wish to mislead you."

"I will take your warning into consideration." Naruto said.

Laurentius made a grimacing sort of face. "Well. Legend has it that here, well… There." He pointed up, at the peak of the mountain; at the wall that stood there. "In Anor Londo, lies the tomb of Lord Gwyn himself. Guarded by his daughter, Gwyndolin."

"Does that mean anything to me?" Naruto asked plainly.

"Uh… No. Well. I don't know, I s'pose." His accent bared again; a nervous tick as Naruto had come to understand. "It might. For the uh – the use of it. Well, I don't know what good it would do you. As for the bell towers-"

"Towers?" Naruto frowned. "Plural?"

"Uh – yeah. First is up in undead parish. The second… Well, It's s'posed to be underground somewhere. Somewhere the sun don't touch. What they do is… up for debate. Uh. 'Fraid there's not much else I can tell you. Only that… Well. I."

Laurentius broke off for a moment and continued, unsure. "Near when I first came to this place… I think…" He looked up at Naruto. "I think I already heard them ring."

-(:=:)-

* * *

Naruto entered the bell tower, ascended the ladder and emerged at the top. A two-ton bell hung over him. If he looked, he could see the battlement of Anor Londo resting near a mile up a sheer, craggy wall, with no apparent means of scaling it.

Down on his level though, undead parish spread out behind him. Further on he could see a fortress not far away. An enormous brick-and-mortar castle half-hidden in a grove of evergreens. He couldn't have seen it from below, from firelink. A single bridge ran from its base, through the trees, connecting to a building to his right, the thing a short walk from the church.

Naruto considered for a moment, then reached up and rung it. The sound echoed across the mountainside. Naruto shrugged and was about to head back to the shrine when a faint clang made him perk his ears. It had come from the building that led to the fortress.

Naruto passed through its entrance, crept down the stairs there, slowly drawing closer to the persistent clanging of metal on metal. The next floor had the bridge to the fortress, but the sound was further. Down another flight of stairs, Naruto peered over the railing.

A bear of a man sat down there, hunched over an anvil, working a piece of metal into shape with a massive hammer. He was not hollow, that much was clear just by the look of him. Good color on his skin, a massive, frazzled white beard with eyebrows to match.

The man wiped his brow, then called out. "No need to hide, lad. Nothin' ta fear down 'ere."

He had quite an accent on him, Naruto thought. Still he rose and clapped down the stairs to approach him. When he was finally before the man, Naruto found himself with nothing to say.

"… Blacksmith, are you?"

The man chuckled and went back to his craft. "Aye, that. One of the best. Andre of Astora, at 'yer service."

Again Naruto was without means to carry the conversation. Still, his knife was at his side, useless state that it was. Couldn't hurt to ask. "I don't suppose you do repairs?"

"Just who do you think yer' takin' to, lad?" Said Andre, voice gruff but warm. He glanced up from his work. "If I can hit it with a hammer, I can repair it."

"…And I don't suppose you work for free?" Naruto asked, retrieving his knife from its holster and holding it up by the blade.

Andre laughed. Naruto was about to take his leave when the man spoke. "Tell ya' what. Been a long while since I last saw a friendly face. You pull up a seat, and I'll handle your repairs."

Naruto did. They spoke as Andre inspected and eventually began to work his knife back into shape. Naruto asked of the fortress.

Sen's Fortress, Andre answered, was across the bridge from the building. A proving grounds built by the gods, testing those that sought entrance to Anor Londo.

"There is no ladder, no elevator, no rope to climb. How does one go from the top of the fortress to Anor Londo?" Naruto asked.

"I haven't the slightest." Andre replied, held the knife horizontal as he checked the blade again. "Haven't been. Don't intend to."

"And Anor Londo. Admittedly, I do not see the appeal in it. The travelers I have met all aimed to travel there. Do you know why?"

"… Aye." Said Andre. "Legend holds, that one day the chosen undead shall enter Anor Londo, and begin anew the age of fire."

Naruto made a bemused sort of expression. "Age of fire?"

Andre eyed Naruto's blade one last time, then handed it back to him. The man seemed to check his palm as he did, though Naruto could have just been imagining it.

"Legends." The man said. "Legends, stories. All of it. Times like these… Men cling to legends."

Andre fell quiet then. Naruto thanked him and left with his blade. He had learned some. At the least, things that Laurentius would be interested to hear.

* * *

-(:=:)-

* * *

Laurentius lay near the bonfire, though it was extinguished now. A deep slash ran up his front, another left a glimmer of bone poking through the meat of his shoulder. Finally, the one that had felled him – a stab wound straight through the chest. Likely he'd bled out before he'd had a chance to drown on his punctured lung.

He'd gone out hard. Swathes of grass and rock were smoldering black. One of those that had killed him lay in a pile of burnt armor by one of the many fragmented pillars of the shrine. Naruto checked it first. Strange armor – black cloth over plates of iron, bones decorated it such that it had likely seemed to be a walking skeleton in the dark of night. A wraith fresh from the abyss. Maybe it had been alone, Laurentius had killed it before succumbing to his injuries. Maybe there were more, and the wound in his chest had come from behind.

Naruto shook his head, stood and moved back to where Laurentius lay in a pool of dark brown grit. He'd come back to talk. Tell him of the fortress hidden in the trees. Maybe share a story or two if the wind took him. Now… Well…

Naruto took a seat by the unlit bonfire. Waited. It was not long before the darksign pulled Laurentius' soul back from the abyss, and the man rose with an unnatural stiffness; skin pallid, body matted with congealed blood. He was different now, Naruto knew. Something he felt more than saw. Laurentius was not all there, anymore. Perhaps he never would be.

Naruto was somber as he spoke, watching Laurentius pull himself from the grass. "I… I do not know it myself. But I have seen it. The first death is not… Kind. On the heart. A man can lose himself to it. To grief. Fear. Anger."

Laurentius took stock of the situation, blinking as though he'd been roused from an uneasy sleep. He understood, after a moment. Naruto said nothing, only watched, eyes hooded.

"They." The word came from Laurentius, and the sound of it made him cringe. Still he carried on. "They came. Took… Someone. There. There was a woman. Down." He pointed to where the shrine recessed a level, an empty cell was dug into the dirt there, near the base of the bonfire. It also led further down, through a flight of stairs to some sort of archaic elevator. Naruto had never managed to make it work and hadn't dared to leap down the shaft or repel down the chains. Place gave him the chills. "In that. Cage. There was a - a woman behind the bars. She wore black. So we couldn't see her in the shadow."

There had been a person in there? Naruto had inspected that cell so carefully, he'd been so sure it was empty. He shook it off and focused on the task at hand. "Do you know where they took her? Why?"

"Down." Rasped Laurentius, raising one knee and wrapping his arms around it. "Down through the shrine, to the elevator shaft I think. I tried to. To help. To stop them. Took one of them. Whatever good it did."

Naruto glanced over at the thing, remembering it.

If it was an undead, and it likely was, it would rise soon. Naruto went over to it, drew up the sword at its side; a great heavy thing of metal and rust. He took it, willed iron flesh over himself, and with his mass plunged the sword through its sternum into the dirt, working it deeper until the hilt dented its chestplate. It would not be rising again, one way or the other.

Naruto moved back to Laurentius. Sat across from him, as they'd used to. But the fire was out, and the man was in no mood to chat.

The day was almost over. Night would come soon, Naruto knew. He would be sleeping with one eye open. Madoc had been his one lesson. He would be sure of that.

He would be sure of that.

* * *

_an: so tired. zleep. _


	5. 5

Laurentius hadn't bothered to pretend to sleep. Only sat there, in the gloom of firelink shrine, staring ahead at nothing. Naruto couldn't have slept even if he'd wanted to. Once, in the dead of night, he rose and went to the elevator beneath the shrine, trying again to make it work. The lever did nothing.

Morning found Naruto approaching Sen's Fortress. It was larger up close, he found. Two of Konoha's Hokage towers stacked atop each other would still fall slightly short. The spokes of an open portcullis poked down from the entrance across the bridge. From the size of them it looked like it was meant to bar men many times his size. Naruto eyed it and ventured further in.

The chamber he walked now was lined with columns, likely just to support the huge weight atop it. A staircase leading up was across from him. Naruto started towards it, and after three steps felt one of the stone slabs depress beneath his foot, and heard a small _click._ Spikes the size of his forearm spat out from a slit on the stairs, and he leaped to the side to avoid them, crashing against a pillar gracelessly.

The racket the spikes made as they all but exploded against the building across the bridge spoke of their effectiveness. Naruto let out a breath and patted himself down for a moment, then carried on further, up the stairs. Had he waited a few moments, he might have heard the clatter of armor behind him.

At the top of the stairs, a small passage led further into the fortress, the passage was completely dark. To his left and right, formerly hidden by the pillars, were two… snake-men, as Naruto would describe them. The things must have been over eight feet tall. They had the bodies of men, but instead of human heads the hoods of massive cobras rose from their necks. They had massive curved swords and roundshields. And they were both dead, propped up against the wall with harsh slashes across their chests.

Naruto eyed the one to his left, and considered inspecting it for a moment. He wanted to feel the scales on them. He decided against it after a moment, and carried on into the passageway, keeping his steps light and probing in the temporary dark.

When he emerged he stopped and looked up in awe. Sen's fortress was completely hollow. The only light streamed in through grates in the ceiling far, far above him, and drew harsh contrast against the bridges that littered the innards of the place. Great pendulums with massive axheads swung over some bridges, others were only a foot wide. At least two that Naruto could see had lost the battle against time, and were missing huge chunks of stone.

Before him, a single bridge extended across an ocean of darkness. Some bits of it were lit by the grates far above, others hidden in the shadows of the many bridges crossing above it.

"Proving grounds," Naruto mused to himself absently, "what sort of gods would build this place."

His flame bloomed to life in his palm, and he started across the bridge. For his curiosity's sake, he sent a plume of fire down over the edge of the bridge. There was no ground in sight, only walls that sunk down into the bowels of the earth and beyond. What was down there, he wondered as he carried on. Likely…

The thought gave him chills. Likely a pit of fallen men. Fallen knights and thieves and sorcerers, driven to madness and back, clamoring over each other in the dark. He didn't want to know. If he happened to fall, well… he had his knife.

Across the bridge he entered another passage. This one led around, up, across another bridge guarded by giant swinging blades. He continued up further. Occasionally tiles sunk beneath his feet and he pressed against the wall, or sunk down, or willed Iron Flesh as fast as he could. More snake-men were appeared here and there, though they were all dead. Slunk against walls, fallen on the ground, propped up against stairs. Slashes, stab wounds, blunt trauma. Blood was still oozing from some of them, though he didn't observe any long enough to notice.

Naruto was not slowed by the traps or pendulums or gaps in the bridges. His fire showed the way, and there were none that he knew in Lordran that could match his leap. Once, the path led outside and circled around the fortress. That stone had a deep groove running through it, as if it were a guide for something. It gave Naruto pause for a minute, and he sent a bunshin and strained his ears for sound.

None came. He continued, across gaps, through pendulums, skirting pressure plates and trapdoors and paranoia the whole way, until at last he emerged in the sunlight.

A tower sat atop Sen's Fortress; not a quarter of the Fortress's height, but still formidable. From that tower a single bridge extended out, above the forest, where it concluded in a platform built into the craggy mountainside. Anor Londo loomed far away and above atop the mountainside, even if he were to venture out to that platform, it would only cut a portion of the climb. Still he felt himself drawn there, if only to see it for himself.

He entered the tower, went up the stairs that led through and up and around it, and eventually emerged from the top, onto the bridge. As he emerged and approached the platform, he saw there was something there.

Where the platform sunk into the cliffside, a pocket was dug out. In that pocket rested a massive suit of armor. Twenty feet up to the crest of its helm, ten feet wide at the shoulders; all black, gleaming iron. He crossed the bridge, the forest a sea of green far, far below. Naruto watched the armor, waiting for movement as details grew clearer. There were rends and slashes on the legs of the armor, scorch marks here and there. Though Naruto couldn't see through the shadows of the visor, he got the feeling there was nothing in it.

Then, as he set foot on the thirty-by-thirty platform, the suit of armor pulled loose from the rock, drew up a massive axe from its back, and took a single, heaving step towards him.

Naruto turned on his heels to retreat back into the tower. Three of those things that had killed Laurentius were across the bridge in the entrance; the ones wearing tattered cloth over iron, decorated with white bone. One of them held a large rust-colored ball with small protrusions poking out from its sides. Naruto felt an electric jolt of awareness tear up his spine and made a mad leap to the side.

An explosive gust of wind tore a layer of stone from where he'd been standing. Naruto pushed himself up, saw the suit of armor still extended from swinging its axe. He glanced over his shoulder, saw that hollow in bone-decorated armor roll the ball onto the bridge and retreat with the others. Naruto eyed the massive armor again, it had drawn closer, axe at its side. He eyed the ball, which slowed to a stop in the middle of the bridge. Then it made a noise.

_Click_

"Shit!" Naruto leaped further onto the platform as a blast rattled the world. The bridge vanished beneath a plume of fire, stone shattering in the blast. Then the bridge began to fall away, great chunks breaking loose and plummeting to the forest below. Naruto pushed himself up, ears ringing, eyes watering. He checked behind him.

The bridge was gone. The platform he was on had begun to crumble as well. As the massive suit of armor drew closer its footsteps shook loose square feet of stone at a time, and forced Naruto even closer to it as the stone beneath him began to shatter and sink.

Then there was no time to think. The Armor reeled back with its axe and came down on him like a meteor. Naruto leaped to the side as the already crumbling stone all but exploded beneath its axe, and Naruto felt his heart rise up in his throat at the horrible falling sensation that came over him. He scrambled further onto the platform, pieces of stone sinking and falling away beneath him.

Then the giant reared back and swung on him again, and Naruto pushed himself aside, the axehead brushing against his shoulder as it crashed down. The platform beneath him exploded free and the world froze. Above, the mountainside, sun, blue sky. The giant looming over him, the thick slab of the platform slowly panning into view above his head as he fell. The axe beside him.

Naruto reached out, fingers brushing along the back of the axe, and clamped down. Then everything sped into a blur. He was torn up, released his hold on the shaft of the axe and fell onto the shoulder of the armor. More of the platform crumbled away, the armor started falling itself and it staggered back.

Its footing gave beneath it. As it fell back Naruto rolling off its shoulder. More of the platform shattered beneath its immense weight. Naruto gathered his wits as fast as he could and got his back against the mountainside. The armor finally fell to the forest below, one last ditch attempt to pull itself onto the platform failing as it drew back with a handful of stone.

Then Naruto was alone. Cool crags at his back, a foot of jagged stone beneath his boots, the tower far away; Sen's Fortress far below. He could make the jump, maybe. Distance wasn't the issue, the integrity of his footing was. Still bits and pieces of what remained of the platform fell away to the forest below, and as the edge drew closer to his feet his hand was forced. Naruto inhaled sharply, hunkered down, and leaped.

His footing fell away as he did, leaving him with only a portion of the force he'd intended. He fell far short of the bridge. Green and blue and grey swirled around him as he fell; Naruto closed his eyes and waited for an end. He'd never died from falling before, he wondered if it would hurt. Something closed around his shoulders, and he was lifted up. Naruto looked.

Something had grabbed him. He wanted to call it a goblin, it had the stretched features, long ears and fingers and spindly limbs. But it was a pale white, with two batlike wings on its back. Naruto didn't fight it yet, waited for the opportunity to land safely or for it to prove itself friendly, whichever came first.

He rose far above undead parish, above the forest, above Sen's Fortress. Everything fell away beneath him. When he finally crested the mountainside he looked on in awe.

The mountain's peak was much larger than he'd thought. So much so that it seemed to be a land in of itself. The great city of Anor Londo sat atop it, above the clouds, above the world; spread out around a cathedral in a circle easily five miles across. There were towering buildings, spires, churches, evergreens, and the cathedral in the middle, a massive gothic thing of spires and arches, rose up like a mountain itself. Naruto couldn't believe the size of it, that it had been built with hands, that it had been built at all.

He was so caught in his thoughts that he barely noticed the thing carrying him drop him down on hard stone. Only when it left did he come back to himself and take stock of the situation. He was at the top of a staircase leading down into a tower across from the cathedral. From that tower a bridge led to the base of the cathedral.

A suit of armor stood by the base of the stairs, though this one was only twelve feet tall it still towered over him. It didn't move as he drew closer and carefully passed.

Through a relatively small room, he emerged onto a veranda. To his right, what seemed to be an elevator led down to the bridge. To his left, A doorway some distance away. Naruto went to the doorway, padded down the staircase he found there, and as he drew closer he heard a commotion, the clang of swords, thud of footfalls, a grunt, a thump. Naruto drew his dagger and moved as quietly as he could.

At the base of the stairs was a twenty-by-twenty foot room that led nowhere. There was a bonfire in the center. More important; a knight in brass armor was backpedaling away from three of those bone-armored things. They were trying to surround her; and it was a her, Naruto could tell somehow. Something in the posture told him.

She kept to the walls, kept them at bay with careful swings of a glowing blue thrusting sword, redirecting their occasional swipes with a parrying dagger. Though the bone-armored ones didn't carry shields, Naruto saw one raise a red hand, and then space seemed to swirl into itself there, and it blocked with that.

One scored a glancing blow on her arm. She dropped the parrying dagger. Naruto couldn't wait and observe anymore, his body wouldn't let him. She had to have seen him, but the three assailants had their backs to him.

One was slightly back from the two keeping pressure. Likely it was waiting for an opportunity, thought it could have just preferred to watch. Naruto closed on this one. It was much taller than him, much bigger, much stronger. But it didn't know he was there. Naruto took his knife in both hands, and with all the force he could muster sunk it into the back of its neck. He caught it as it fell limp, gently resting it on the floor as the female knight kept attention on her.

The two attacking her would see each other fall. Naruto chose the one on the left, the one that had raised that space-rift shield.

He charged it and slammed his knife through its neck with such force its helm came slightly off. The other turned to look at him, and Naruto could picture the dumfounded look on its face.

It fell in that moment of distraction, the brass knight closed before it could react and ran it through with her glowing sword.

It went still so quickly Naruto was taken aback. She glanced at him as the bone-armored thing fell from her blade, then went and stabbed the two that he'd killed. Naruto was about to ask why when she spoke.

"I owe you a great thanks, young one." Her voice was cool, crisp, dignified. "Had you not come… I fear this would have been the end of me."

Naruto had so many questions. "Do you know who they were?"

"Darkwraiths," she said, as she moved to retrieve her parrying dagger and lean her back against the wall, "I can scarcely believe they came this far for me."

"Darkwraiths?" Naruto said, "I've had a few run-ins with them. But I don't actually know much about them."

"Hmm?" A short hum from her. "Ah. Darkwraiths, yes. They were once great knights of Lord Gwyn. But they were betrayers. They and the Four Kings fell prey to the manipulations of Darkstalker Kathe, Lord Gwyn's confidant. Lord Gwyn's elite guard forced them into the ruins of New Londo, trapped them there. And they flooded New Londo, and hurled the Four Kings into the abyss; they and their conspirator Kathe." Her voice grew bitter near the end, as though she had some personal vendetta. Naruto chose not to ask.

He nudged one of the darkwraiths away from the bonfire and sat there. Then glanced up at the knight across from him. "So. Who are you?"

"Me?" She said. "I am the fire keeper."

"I mean… Your name. Your title."

"That is of no importance. Only my duty. I am the fire keeper. That is who I am."

"Hm. What does that entail; 'Fire Keeper?'"

"I keep the fire." She said, plainly. "I provide guidance and some modicum of safety to those who travel through these lands."

Well that told him nothing. "To the point, I don't see the value of these fires."

She cocked her head at him, looking at him for the first time since they began speaking. "You… are not undead, are you."

Was that some measure of awe in her voice? "No."

She continued to eye him through her visor, then shook her head and looked away. "Then you would not understand."

Naruto let the issue fall. "These Darkwraiths… They took someone, a - a fire keeper, I suppose. Down, into the earth. Is that New Londo?"

She spoke after a moment. "Yes. Likely. If you aim to follow be wary of that place. Its inhabitants fell with the Darkwraiths when New Londo was flooded, and they are angry."

Naruto went silent. He considered his options. Then he thanked the knight for her time and moved to leave.

She called to him. "I should mention… A young woman passed through this place some time ago, a sorcerer. A powerful one. She claimed to have been enlightened by Gwynyvere. If she spoke truth, you will not find what you seek here."

Naruto paused. "Perhaps you can tell me something I have wondered for some time now." He turned to face her. "What is the point of this? Why do undead travel to these lands?"

"_Why_? Well." She chuckled, but it was a small, weak thing. "The age of man is ending, young one. The first flame, lit by Lord Gwyn eons ago is nothing but embers, now. Time fades with it. And the darksign marks those forgotten by it. One undead must be chosen, must travel here, to receive guidance from Gwynyvere. Must kindle the first flame. Or all will fade."

Naruto felt his mouth fall slightly agape. _"_What?"

He could hear the slow sigh through her visor. "I have said enough. If you require rest, repose, do so. That, after all, is what this place is for."

He shrugged internally. She hadn't seemed like the social type. Still she seemed trustworthy enough, and he could use a moment of calm. "I'll have to take you up on your offer."

Naruto got his back to a wall and rested his eyes, and a comfortable silence fell over them. Naruto had almost fallen asleep entirely when light silently curled up from the bonfire and coalesced into a Darkwraith, but this one wore no helm. Black hair fell down her shoulders, in one hand, an odd macelike wand, the other was empty but colored a vibrant red. Spiky balls of light hovered around her. Naruto heard the brass knight gasp, and opened his eyes and pushed himself up.

He only saw her face for an instant. Sharp, strong features, green eyes. Eyes like Sakura's, he thought, the intelligence in them.

Then the balls of light around her streaked forth. Naruto leaped to the side, remembering the pain of that bolt in the church, but they chased after him relentlessly, and as he backpedaled they sunk into him.

"Idiot!"

Then he was in the dark, massive rusted bars before him. "Idiot!" The great red thing behind those bars was angry. "Idiot!" So angry he was taken aback. "**IDIOT!"**

Naruto sat up on his mattress, shook the cobwebs from his head. Then a cold, wet feeling dripped down his chest and legs, and he glanced down at the patches red blooming from the seams of his armor.

Then came the pain. It started distant at first. As he unclipped his armor and looked in disbelief at the gaping rends in his chest, like someone had taken a ladle to him, it was just a tingle. As he probed one of the wounds, as his finger sunk into it, it was a steady pounding.

Then all at once he bit back a cry and stumbled to his feet, blood pouring down from deep wounds all across his chest and legs. Time sped. His mind raced. He needed to quell the bleeding, fast. His vision began to swim.

Naruto pulled his knife from his holster, used it to tear strips from his bedsheets and pressed them against the largest of the wounds, two on his chest, one on his inner thigh. He was about to bandage them when he noticed that the smaller wounds were already gone, the larger ones were steaming, pushing out the cloth from the inside.

He stumbled back lightheaded and watched as they closed. Ran his fingers over the new skin there breathlessly. Interesting. Dangerous, but interesting. The wounds had carried over? That blue light… sorceries. The trident wielding hollow's sorcery hadn't left so much as a bruise, why had those orbs of light? And though he wasn't complaining, how had he healed… He always knew he healed fast, but not in such a ridiculous capacity. Finally that huge, red beast gave him the oddest sensation of familiarity. He felt it was real.

Well, no time. Naruto brushed off his concerns for the moment and cleaned the blood from his floor, still it dyed the seams a nasty dark red. He tossed his sheets in the washer, ate, showered, dressed in his jumpsuit and was out the door in half an hour.

Not long after he'd left, a tall, lanky man picked his lock and entered his apartment.

* * *

-(:=:)-

* * *

Kiba watched Naruto when he took his seat. He didn't say anything, didn't do anything. Still his expression spoke volumes. He'd never been so dominated in a fight before, so powerless. Naruto could understand his frustration, his anger. And he could understand that his classmates would still be a little wary of him. Not because they feared him, but because they could no longer predict him.

It was because of this understanding that Naruto didn't question why there was a buffer of empty seats around him, and he didn't take offense as Sakura shot him a nasty, almost betrayed look when she and Ino finally passed through the door. He sat and waited for class to begin.

Eventually Iruka emerged from behind his desk and clapped once, and the exam began. The written portion was largely a literacy test. Naruto had never had problems with it, that hadn't changed. He twirled his pencil as the last few students finished and clacked theirs down on their desks.

Then came the practical. Naruto had learned patience, so when the time came that he stood before Iruka and Mizuki, he had the necessary frame of mind to ignore Mizuki's near tangible distaste and Iruka's forced smile. Three bunshin appeared around him, and Naruto returned to his seat with his headband.

He sat and stared at it, rubbing his thumb against the metal. It was cold, he thought absently. Too shiny, too; shiny enough to see a vague reflection. Enough detail to see the bags under his eyes. He glanced up as Iruka neared the end of his spiel.

"-ow get up tomorrow bright and early, and you'll get your squad assignments, and meet your squad leaders. Don't forget about me, you hear? I know…"

Naruto just looked at him, words streaming in one ear and out the other. Then he looked down at the headband in his hands, absently tracing the curve of the leaf symbol with his thumb. He tied it around his collar.

Naruto made his first major purchase not long after he left the academy. It was with a smug sort of satisfaction that he flashed his headband and bought a brace of kunai and a decent set of underarmor –clothes made of strong fabric with sewn-in plates. The purchase left his frog wallet emaciated and unhappy; the eyes and mouth puffed out as it filled and now it just seemed to be angry with him. Still, he had one more thing to buy.

"One pork ramen, extra green onions please." Naruto took his usual stool at the bar. Teuchi smiled at him.

"Coming right up, Naruto."

"Who said Naruto?" Ayame appeared from nowhere and tore Naruto from his stool like she was saving him from it, smashing him to her chest and rubbing her face in his hair. Then suddenly he was back on his stool and she was half-frowning at him.

"Three days?" She said.

"Two." Naruto replied.

"Feels like three. A billion, even. Literally eons. _Literally_."

No it definitely did not. Naruto was about to explain what 'literally' meant when she flicked his ear and took the seat next to him. Then she looked at Teuchi, and he caught her eye meaningfully. A moment passed where a small part of Naruto was positive he was about to be stabbed.

"Congratulations, Naruto!" They chimed. Then Ayame was talking, and Naruto was listening and occasionally making sounds that she never quite let him finish. And Teuchi was smiling or smirking and stirring up Naruto's batch of ramen. Then Naruto was eating, not spilling as much on himself this time, and Ayame was still talking.

Naruto found himself wondering if that was what it was like to have a family. When he finally excused himself, they waved him off, and he left never seeing the small, worried expression flitter over Ayame's face.

* * *

-(:=:)-

* * *

_an: most of my writing is done in frantic, half-awake bursts at 2am. Class is back in session, so me and 2am aren't on friendly terms anymore. updates will be a little less frequent._


	6. 6

Naruto woke in his bed. He sat up, a frown slipping over his face. He was in Konoha still, having slept on a belly full of ramen and warm smiles. He didn't understand, and he wasn't upset. Still there was a sense of wrongness to it. Like he was supposed to be there. Like he should have been there. Naruto shook his head as he stood, brushing the anxiety from his shoulders. There was no point in wondering.

He was out the door in twenty minutes, took his seat at the academy and waited for Iruka to rise from his desk. Students drizzled in slowly as the hour drew closer, Naruto found himself fading away into the lull of the room. Conversations among the students were quick and harsh and full of energy, but spoken under breath. The white noise fell over everything like a low hanging mist.

Then Naruto started as Iruka clapped his hands. He removed his hand from his dagger after a moment, not realizing he'd grabbed at it.

Iruka looked over them, smiling. And it was a genuine thing. "Congratulations to everyone here, in this room."

Naruto glanced offhand at Sakura, and after a few seconds she felt his presence and caught his eye. Naruto nodded to himself absently. That Darkwraith's eyes were just like Sakura's; but older. Harsher.

"Your Squad leaders will be arriving throughout the next hour. Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji; you three are with…"

Naruto felt a tug. Inexplicable, intangible. But it had a presence; the suddenness of the thing knocked him back in his seat. His hand flew to his dagger, but he was careful not to make a scene.

"Sakura quit whining, these are the teams. Yes – no. _No_."

He looked around the room, silver creeping up his left arm beneath his desk. No one was looking at him. No one seemed especially suspicious.

"I understand everything you're saying, Sakura. But th… _No._ No. This is final and out of my hands, okay? Sit down."

The feeling didn't come again. Naruto remained on edge, but physically calmed himself. Iruka continued to go down the roster and Naruto wondered if his name had already been called. Well, if it had his leader would likely get his attention anyhow.

Naruto held to that thought for the next two hours, as Jounin of various styles and demeanors entered, introduced themselves, and left with their teams. He watched them as they did; the students, the Jounin. He thought to himself on how normal they seemed, how well adjusted, and how unexpected that was. Then when only six students remained a feeling crashed down over him. A pulse of pure dread - though only for an instant.

A bare-bones hand clapped down on his desk, and a mouth carved from rotted wood roared in his ear. Naruto bit back a gasp and stood, chair squealing back as he did. The six or so remaining students turned to eye him with varying degrees of uncertainty. Naruto blinked, shook out his head. Pried his hand from his dagger and sat. A few seconds of awkwardness later the entrance of the second-to-last Jounin of the day drew attention from him.

It was a stretched sort of man that drifted through the door. He had to be at least six feet tall, nearly the tallest man Naruto had ever seen. Topped by disheveled grey hair and wearing an expression that boded of sleep deprivation; he was the single most anticlimactic Jounin Naruto had ever seen. The man looked the remaining students over, eyes hanging on Naruto for just a tick longer than the others. Naruto noticed.

"You three." He said, and gestured to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. "You're my students, hm? Yeah." Here a great sigh blew through the mask drawn over his mouth. "Well… come and meet me on the roof." He vanished in a swirl of leaves and smoke. Sakura opened her mouth to say something and sneezed instead.

Up on the roof, Naruto found the man eased back against the railing, half-under the shade of one of the few trees jutting from the channels of soil that striped the rooftop. Naruto hadn't been up there in ages, he sat against a flowerbed and lost himself in nostalgia. He felt Kakashi watching him, knew if he looked he'd find the man absorbed in that book he'd pulled.

Sakura and Sasuke emerged a moment later. Sakura sat as far from Naruto as she could without being overtly rude in front of her new instructor. Sasuke just plopped down and held onto his knee.

"You're all here then." The man said genially. It seemed to be his natural tone. Light, floaty, carefree. It was far too scenic for a moment, as the trees and flowers rustled in a gentle breeze. Naruto stiffened before he could catch himself. It was too perfect.

"Well. Hm. Where to begin…" The man mused to himself for a moment, tilting his head back and forth slightly in thought. "My name is Kakashi." He said. "You can call me Kakashi. Kakashi sensei, Sensei. Any of those will do."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak.

Kakashi somehow managed to interrupt her so completely her voice seemed to suck back down her throat. All with that sleepy voice of his. "Now, I suppose you three know each other already. Still, how about we go around and introduce ourselves. Hmm?" Kakashi's eye crinkled. His posture and tone were so disarming Naruto had to shake his head to remove the image of Solaire that rose in his mind.

Sakura spoke. Naruto looked at her, but he couldn't hear the words. He just saw her eyes, remembered that Darkwraith in Anor Londo. The speed of those sorceries. The size of that beast behind those bars.

"Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, glanced over at Kakashi, the man eyeing him expectantly.

"Your turn, Naruto."

Naruto blinked. Introduce himself, right? "I… My name is Naruto." He felt as though he were speaking to a knight. Not the setting, it was the feel of the words coming from his mouth. How many times had he greeted strangers in that place, he wondered as he carried on absently. "My specialties are stealth, misdirection and close combat."

Kakashi blinked. His visible eyebrow rose a tick. "… Passions? Hobbies?" He goaded.

Naruto's eyebrows rose a tick as well. "I enjoy quiet moments, warm meals, indoor plumbing. It can be nice to talk over a fire in the dark on occasion."

"Huh." Kakashi said. "Well, you sure are a varied bunch aren't you."

Sakura misread his admittedly flagless pause and he tiptoed right over her again. "You're probably excited. But, sorry to say, you aren't genin just yet."

"B-" Sakura got a whole consonant out this time. Naruto suspected the man exploiting was her subservient nature on purpose.

"You have to pass one more test. My test, actually. But don't worry, it's not too complicated. Matter of fact, what do you say we get it done and over with now?"

His crinkled eye was completely guileless, still Naruto felt something off. "What is the test." He said.

"Tell you when we get there, alright? Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Then they were at the training grounds, grass beneath their feet, groves of cultured trees all around them. Kakashi had found a practice dummy to lean against, and he eyed them from it as they spoke.

"… We just need to get a bell?" Sakura repeated.

Kakashi jingled the pair of bells tied to his belt. "Yep. A bell to pass the test."

"But-"

This time Sasuke interrupted her, not that she minded. "One of us won't pass." He said, and it wasn't a question.

"'Fraid there's not enough room." Kakashi said. "Well, not exactly. There's this whole deal, yadda yadda. Long story short one of you three is going back the academy no matter what."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. That… seemed like nonsense, actually.

"Well, no hard feelings?" Kakashi trailed off uselessly. "Mm. Well. You know the rules. You have an hour to get a bell." He drew up a timer and set it. As he placed it on the training log he commented over his shoulder "I suggest you come at me with intent to kill, otherwise you probably won't get anywh-"

Sasuke had charged him, kunai drawn. Then Sasuke was on his stomach, Kakashi holding him down. "I didn't say go yet."

Naruto blinked. He hadn't even seen the man move. Well shit.

Kakashi stood, Sasuke pushed himself up.

"Aaaaand… " Kakashi said.

Sakura only glared at him.

"Begin."

Sakura and Sasuke immediately darted into the brush, leaving Naruto and Kakashi standing in one of the few patches of open field.

Naruto grimaced. No point in hiding, no point in running. Last thing he wanted was to show that man his back. Instead he pulled his dagger from its sheath, stood at the ready.

Kakashi pulled an orange book from his vest, flipped to a page. Read. "You're not very smart, are you." He didn't even look up.

Naruto mostly let the words flow over him. "What good would hiding do?"

"Admittedly not much. But it's the principle of the thing, you know?" From his tone he could have been ordering lunch. "Not impressed."

"Mmm." Said Naruto. "You're quite rude." He flipped his dagger into a reverse grip.

"Hmm?" Said Kakashi. He flipped the page and sniffled.

Naruto started towards him, silver flowing down over his arms, neck and upper chest. He took his time, one foot over the other, keeping his ears strained for a _click_, a snap, a sinkhole. Kakashi didn't so much as blink at his approach, if anything he seemed even more absorbed in his book.

Come at him with intent to kill, Naruto thought. Either he didn't take them seriously, which was likely and understandable given his rank, or he was an idiot.

The Kakashi glanced up for a moment, and something critical changed in a heartbeat. The angle of his shoulders, width of his eyelid, spread of his feet, shift of his weight, a million little things changed in an instant and rose every hair on Naruto's neck. His pupils dilated, pulse quickened, ears rang. Madoc was there, for an instant. Then again, flickering superimposed over Kakashi. Bloodied straightsword in hand, hollowed out eyes glowering through his visor. Naruto shook, hand clenching over his knife.

He felt himself falling, but he pulled himself back. "Stop!" He roared, his voice cracking. "Stop it _now_!"

Then Kakashi was harmless again. "Interesting." He mused, not unkindly. Still he didn't seem the least bit mollified. "Unexpected. Hmm. But boring."

Naruto didn't notice the odd expression flitter across Kakashi's visible face, nor the shift of his posture. He caught his breath, watching in appalled disbelief as Kakashi went back to reading as though nothing had happened. Damn his head hurt.

"I think I'll go check on Sakura." Kakashi mused to himself. Naruto let him walk away, frowning, wondering what the hell had just happened. What he didn't know.

Then another tug, like the one at the academy hours ago. But there was no resisting this one. A force buried in his back, hooked his spine and _tore_. Naruto flew, back; the training grounds twisted, stretched, he curled in on himself, twisted into a thread and then all at once inflated and fell onto his back, and scuttled on his hands as he pushed himself up.

He was in a tomb. A large tomb. A halfcircle of stone sarcophagi clung to the far wall, broken in the center by a staircase leading further into the gloom of the place. But before him, hovering over the bonfire in the center of the room, a deity stood. And he knew. He knew at once.

It wore a gold mask topped by the spokes of a sun, fluttering silk robes embroidered with blues and silvers. But instead of feet the tails of many snakes poked from the skirt of the robes, writhing over themselves as the deity waved the staff-like wand in its hand and loosed a cascade of blue bolts.

Naruto looked over at the entrance to the tomb, where a mass of Darkwraiths had begun to pile in, space rift shields raised, and the wave of sorceries seemed to just pour over those shields as though repelled by them.

"Mortal!" The sound came from the deity. Naruto could only blink dumbly at it for a moment before he caught his bearings. From the sound of the voice it was male, and he'd never seen one so ambiguously effeminate… nor as pretty.

"Uh – what!" Naruto returned, silver overtaking his body and he stood by it.

"Aid me!" It snarled. Another sweep of its wand released a massive ball of light, and the sheer force of the normally miasmatic thing stumbled the ranks of Darkwraiths, if only for a moment. "Heretics!" It roared at them, and Naruto was taken aback at the very human rage. "You shall not foul this place with your touch!"

Naruto stood his ground as the Darkwraiths slowly closed, the sorceries cast around like party favors slipping over their shields. Naruto took stock of the situation in an instant. Twelve Darkwraiths, spread along in three ranks of four. He shot a jut of fire as abruptly as he could at them while they were still bunched, and was disheartened as the flames washed over those space-rift shields. They finally drew completely into the tomb, and began to spread out, circling Naruto and the deity.

"Can you fly?" Naruto said.

"I will not." It said forcefully.

"You really should." Naruto returned. The Darkwraiths closed as leisurely as he'd come to expect. "Your sorceries won't help you with them."

"I will not _flee_ from _them_!"

"Then you will die at their hands!"

"Watch your tongue!"

"Kiss my ass!"

Four Darkwraiths closed from all around them, drew back their heavy straightswords. Naruto closed on one in that instant, slashed forwards to catch it in the throat.

Then suddenly Naruto was looking up at Kakashi, the man crouched over him with an air of concern that faded the moment he went to sit up. "You have some explaining to do, my adorable student."

"Explaining?" Naruto said as he rose, fingers curling in the damp grass for purchase, mind racing. "What about?"

"No games, Naruto." Kakashi said, tone still light, but there was steel in his voice. "Your heart stopped. I had to use a lightning technique. I wasn't going to ask about the stains in your apartment. Or the armor. Not yet. But I will not drop this."

Shit. Naruto thought as fast as he could. It wouldn't do him any harm to come clean. His evidence was concise, proof easily gotten. But there were too many variables. Too many ways it could go wrong. Too much he didn't know about Konoha. "I only rested for a few minutes, that's no reason to wake me so rudely."

"Hm. Tell me, Naruto." Kakashi leaned in, and Naruto felt himself lean back, and stumble, but Kakashi caught him on his shoulder, clamped down there like a vice. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Naruto tried to maintain aloof confusion. "I can't say I've known you long enough to decide conclusively."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. Naruto felt a pressure fall over his shoulders, pressing him down to the ground. But he fought against it.

"You need to explain to me. _Now_." All pretense was gone, Kakashi's voice was stern and severe.

Naruto forced a thoughtful smirk, not enjoying the way the feeling of dread seeped down his back. "A few hours is scarcely enough time to-"

"Naruto." The pressure increased so much it hurt. Naruto tensed, only held up by Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. Madoc. Madoc was there again, face rotted to paper-thin skin and bone, and Madoc leaned in and groaned in Naruto's face. Naruto shuddered, shook his head. Kakashi again.

"I… I am beginning to-"

Kakashi snarled. "_Naruto_!"

Something broke in Naruto's mind. Too much rage, fear, disgust. Too much to contain. He struck at Kakashi so quickly the man instinctively tried to snap his arm, but he may well have tried to bend an iron girder. Kakashi went for the throat before he could stop himself, but his knife-hand broke over Naruto's Adam's apple.

Naruto grappled at Kakashi, one hand on his wrist, the other on his shoulder, and with the weight of iron flesh pulled the man down, eye-to-eye. Kakashi tried to shunshin, kawamari with something, but Naruto's hold was too strong, unbreakable. Naruto inhaled and blew a stream of viscous purple smoke so forceful it tore Kakashi's forhead-protecter clean off his head. Kakashi was not a Jounin for nothing, he exhaled, tried to, but the smoke forced up through his nostrils, in through the membranes of his eyes, his ears, his pores, there was nothing he could have done.

Naruto released him.

Kakashi stumbled back. Slowly, he blinked, and blood dribbled from his nose, and he fell to the grass. Naruto watched vacantly as the last of the purple miasma dissipated into the open air. He walked to the man, kneeled down beside him. Watched him gurgle, retch, claw at the air, then finally go still. Naruto reached out at him, and Sasuke caught his arm.

"What did you do to him." Sasuke said.

Naruto blinked. He shook his head slowly, bits of consciousness slowly filtering back. "I… I. He grabbed me, and… Something. He did something to me. I-"

"What did you _do_ to him, Naruto." Sasuke repeated.

"I did… I don't. I… I don't know."

"What did you do to him. Tell me."

"I don't know. I just."

"You have to know." Sasuke said, "What did you do to him."

Naruto grimaced, brought a hand to his temple. "I don't know."

"What did you do to him!"

"I don't know!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke turned him. "Tell me what you did so I can get help!"

"_I don't know_ what I did! I just – he made me-"

"What did you do!"

"I! Don't! Know!" A pull. Naruto felt his breath torn from him, he flew back, through the forest, through the sky, twisting, stretching, then stone beneath his feet, the acrid must of a tomb all around him.

"Mortal! _Mortal_!" Naruto looked. He was further into the tomb; the deity had been forced back, into a seemingly endless passage lined by pillars. Blood oozed from slashes on its shoulder and side, the stuff was black as tar. Ten Darkwraiths closed on it, shields ready. "There is no time! Aid me or all is lost!"

Pressure built behind Naruto's eyes. His head boiled. The first Darkwraith fell to a knife-hand fueled by frustration and rage that punctured clean through its chestplate. Others fell next. Naruto didn't pull his dagger. He used his hands. He grabbed swords as they swung on him, yanked them close, _broke_ them. Burned them. Breathed miasma down their throats. Stuck his hand in their face and poured thick fire down their visors. The deity vanished and appeared further back, and was not pursued.

Then the final Darkwraith fell, having taken cover behind its space-rift shield while Naruto poured fire so thick it seemed to be molten rock. It was just slag when Naruto approached the deity, still silver, still frustrated and afraid and desperate.

"Explain." He said. "Now."

The sliver of face visible beneath the golden mask contorted into a grimace of wounded pride. Still it spoke after a moment. "You, Mortal, who carries the soul of a Great Lord. I called you here, in my desperation. The chosen undead, she has betrayed us. Twisted by Darkstalker Kathe in the abyss. She slayed my sister Gwynevere, slayed my guard, my knights, my legacy. All those that once stood with her, even the demigod Solaire. She has killed three Lords, taken their souls to the abyss and the hands of the Four Kings."

"What do you want from me?" It came out much harsher than Naruto intended, but the unbearable pressure in his head was driving him mad.

"I… I beseech thee." The tone was so forced Naruto was sure the deity had never before spoken those words. "Find the betrayer. Retrieve the lord souls. Bring her to light."

"Why should I care." Naruto said, frustrations pouring out from the furthest reaches of his mind. "Why does this matter to me? Why should I risk myself for this retched place! For you!"

"Because I ask it of you!" It snapped. "Because you should well feel honored to so much as _gaze upon_ me - The Dark Sun Gwyndolin! Because if you think you have a _choice_ you are sorely mistaken!"

"I see why your chosen undead fell from grace!" Naruto roared, "What a useless, pathetic god you are! Step outside your gilded castle and see what weight your voice carries! See what _ant _turns his ear to you! Command what is left of your dominion! Murders and betrayers and thieves!"

"How _dare_ you!" Gwyndolin returned, voice echoing all through the pillar-lined passage. Gwyndolin closed on Naruto, and Naruto closed on Gwyndolin in return. "I rose beside my father _eons_ before your pathetic race first learned to fear fire!"

"I am not _afraid_ of you!" They were face to face now. "I am not your puppet! I am not your chosen undead! And I am damn well not your errand boy!"

"You are my _servant_! And you will do as you are told or you will never set foot in your land _again_!"

Naruto head-butted Gwyndolin so hard he felt a twinge through iron flesh. Gwyndolin glided back on the mess of thick serpents that passed for legs, then glowed and vanished into a sudden gloom.

"Oh _Heretic_!" Gwyndolin howled, "Swathed in idiocy! If you would cast us to the abyss then I would be sure you join us!"

The chime of unmuffled sorceries echoed from every direction. Hundreds of orbs of light streamed down from the ceiling, behind pillars, from thin air; coalesced around Naruto like a hurricane. Naruto was too far gone to try and defuse the situation. His head was clouded; fury, pain. Madoc. Laurentius. Solaire. Kakashi.

Laughter. Bitter howling laughter came from within him, echoed back and forth between his ears.

The sorceries screamed towards him.

Naruto clenched his jaw.

Burning red chakra exploded from every pore on his body, and then he dashed forwards, through the cloud of sorceries; blue bolts shattering over him like glass. Naruto reared back and tore Gwyndolin from the ether, held him aloft by the throat.

Gwyndolin thrashed in his hand, though it didn't do him any good. Slowly the flesh there began to smoke, and Gwyndolin made to give him one last parting threat.

But then his posture changed to horrified and he cried out "No! _No!"_

Naruto narrowed his brow.

A spear of blue light the girth of a small tree pierced through them both from behind. Naruto stiffened, eyes going wide. Gwyndolin fell limp from his hand.

Naruto glanced down at the grass beneath his feet, watched numbly as quarts of blood emptied from the gaping hole in his gut. Kakashi was there, limp still, and Sasuke fell back as he saw the blood, dawning horror spreading over his face.

Naruto took a step back. Furious red chakra crashed over him like a shroud, the force of it tossed Sasuke and Kakashi back.

In the tomb again, still chakra poured from his wound, from everywhere, curled up like flames. Everything flickered, grass and stone leaped back and forth, shuffling beneath his boots. The Darkwraith, the betrayer was still there. She flickered as the tomb did, expression shifting from bitter confidence to terror, and she fell back and ran as Naruto turned to her. Wind roared in his ears, the ground shook, something snarled from inside him to move, move. Move! MOVE!

Naruto moved. Walked. Stumbled. His boots clapped against the thick stone of the tomb, sunk into the damp grass of the training grounds. Still blood poured from him, from the hole in his gut. His vision swam, swirled, the roar of the ocean rang in his ears.

"You leap like a howler monkey my boy!" Madoc gasped, there, in the tomb. "If only I was so limber."

"You are too young for wetwork, brat." A young pyromancer with burning red hair clapped his back as he passed her, "but you have my thanks nonetheless."

Naruto glanced at her, but she was already gone. He fell to his knees, red chakra sputtering and crackling.

"My master would be proud to be your indirect instructor." Laurentius glowed, that stupid grin spread on his face. "Ah. What a madman he was though."

Naruto glanced at Laurentius, and the man flew back as smoke caught in a breeze. Naruto fell to his hands.

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Ayame and Teuchi cheered. Naruto smiled at the warmth that passed over him. He wondered if that was what it was like to have a family.

Naruto fell on his chest, arms at his sides, cheek pressed against cold stone. Blood pooled around him.

He closed his eyes.


	7. 7

"You think I will let you die?"

Black, cold. Naruto said nothing, barely heard the words himself. Water lapped at his cheek, the air smelled like rust. Distantly, he felt stone beneath him, slick with moss and grime. The red glow that lit the place seeped through his eyelids.

"You are wrong. You have not suffered enough. But you will."

Things got cloudy. Naruto felt like he laid there for days, for weeks in the quiet dark without strength to lift his head. Then the water fell away. The red glow that lit the place vanished into a sudden gloom. Naruto heard his boots dragging through gravel, the rusting clacks of armor in motion. He took a sharp breath and opened his eyes, and saw that he was not in Anor Londo.

Two Darkwraiths hauled him along by his arms, five more trailed along behind; they were all singed and scarred. Around him, dilapidated buildings, standing water, bones and drifting white phantoms. The whole place was underground. The roof of the cave was miles above, and a chunk of dirt was missing from it; the light from there lit the place an eerie yellow. The smell of mold was so pervasive Naruto almost gagged.

He was careful to hold his tongue, not make any sudden moves. First he focused on his gut, felt with his mind for the wound he expected to find there; but it was gone. Next he went through each of his fingers, toes; just small twitches to make sure he still had sensation. Next he checked for broken bones, and found none.

Then, as the two carrying him and five escorting them came upon a staircase that led further into the dark of the place - one framed on either side by a long, black decent into nothing - Naruto felt for his flame and inhaled.

A heavy straightsword sunk through his back, and he saw the tip of the blade jut out of his chest. He tried to scream, but a wet gurgle wormed out his throat, and he felt warmth dribble down his chin. Things got fuzzy again, Naruto remembered the path leveling out, remembered the sword in his back catching on a rock and tearing out his side, and another took its place. Then there was just dirt; clammy dirt pressed against his cheek.

"You did not vanish this time."

Someone lifted his hand from his side and checked his palm.

"You are not undead, yet…" the laughter that followed was a broken, harsh thing. "Yet still you breathe. Mmm. I know of a cure for immortality. Restrain him."

The sound of many sets of footsteps approaching around him. Hands and boots pressed him down. Naruto couldn't feel his legs, could barely keep his eyes open. Then he felt the sword torn from his back and all at once the world snapped into focus, and he heard his own breath ring in his ears. Black boots crunched into view before him.

"Who are you?"

Naruto opened his mouth, croaked feebly. He felt his strength returning, but slowly. So slowly. Steam wafted off the wound through his chest and side.

A boot caught his shoulder, turned him over onto his back, and Naruto looked up at the beam of light far, far above, piercing through the roof of the cave, and the silhouettes of many Darkwraiths hovering over him.

"Well? Who are you, boy?" The voice came again, and Naruto focused on her, on her eyes. Eyes like Sakura's, he thought. But pained; mad.

"Ll…" Another croak came from him. Distantly, he felt sensation return to his toes.

The chosen undead crouched over him, leaned in. Naruto saw the sharp lines of stress on her face; creases pinched around her eyes and mouth. He saw how wet her eyes were, and how close to breaking she was. He saw all this in an instant, and she knew he could tell from the way her expression tensed. She must be the proud type, he thought as she dug a thumb into his chest, into the smoking wound there.

"Who. Are. You." She said, and Naruto was amazed at how little her voice gave away, and the familiarity of the thing pulled at his heart. He barely felt her finger sinking into his chest.

"Why." Naruto said, finally. "Why hav-"

"Your _name_."

The finger dug still deeper into his chest, and Naruto shuddered. "Naruto."

"An eastern name." She said tersely. "But you don't look it. What did he tell you? What did that liar Gwyndolin tell you?"

"That you killed them." Naruto said. "That you betrayed them. Th-"

"No." She replied sharply, and her brow furrowed. "No, I did not."

"You did." Naruto said. "You killed-"

"_They_ betrayed _me_!" She said, then fell silent at once, furious at her own outburst. She collected herself. "_They_ lied to _me._ _They – _Gwyndolin, Gwynevere, Frampt; they pointed me down the path of ruin that they dared call salvation. And in my rebellion, the send you… A _child_ to fix the damage I've done. A _child_ to take my life. A _child_ to throw on the fire."

Naruto shook his head, shivered as a sudden cold washed over him. "You killed… Your friends. Your allies. You killed Solaire."

"It was an act of mercy." She said, and Naruto heard the raw nerve there.

"You killed Solaire, whom fought for valor and justice."

"I have done him a _favor_." She said tensely.

"Solaire, who stood for the weak."

"I did what _must_ be done." She said, louder.

"Solaire, who pulled you up when you fell."

"I saved him from a fate worse than death." She said, louder still.

"Solaire, who only ever wanted to help."

"I know exactly what I have done!" She said. "I killed Solaire, I killed Gwynevere, I killed Frampt! I killed them all and I hate myself for it! But I must!"

"I don't understand." Naruto said, tried to push himself up but was pressed down again. "Why? Why have you done all this?"

"Gwyndolin did not even tell you that? I was right to feed his soul to the Kings." Her tone was heated but restrained, if only barely. "Eons ago Lord Gwyn kindled the first flame, took control from the Stone Dragons, gave birth to time, and the empire of men and gods, and ruled as the Lord of Sunlight; he and his children."

She leaned in, and Naruto lost his breath at the intensity in her stare. "But that is a _lie_. Lord Gwyn threw himself upon the first flame two thousand years ago. And he has remained there since. I was promised glory. Fame! I was promised the _world_! And I have seen Lord Gwyn screaming in his palace of ash!

"The age of fire is ending but he is not burned out! He is driven _mad_! Two thousand years he has burned on that damned flame and he is _broken_! Every second wishing for _nothing_ but death – yet still he holds to the hope that some fool will fight him for the privilege of being burned alive!

"So he stands in his flame and tears at himself and cries for _someone_! _Anyone_! To _please_ just _kill me before I do it myself_! And Frampt _dared_ tell me I would inherit his domain! And Gwynevere _dared_ tell me _I_ was special! _I _was the chosen one! And I dared believe them! I will kill Gwyn, I will put him to rest but I will _not_ take his place! None will take his place and none will live in the broken world that follows!"

Naruto couldn't find any words; even if he could he doubted his lips would move. She had started so calm, then her façade burst like a dam, and she was roaring, raving; and now there were tears pouring down her cheeks, and she was trying desperately not to sob and lose what standing she had left.

Naruto knew he had a way about him that made people bare themselves. Some stupid quality only found in the young and destined for early, foolhardy death. But his heart broke when a small gasp shook her, and she retreated back into the gloom of New Londo to gather herself.

Then, after some time had passed, she turned to look at him. Her breath was still labored, but it calmed every second.

"I have killed so many." She said, and gestured at the many Darkwraiths holding him down. Then they drew him up and carried him towards the entrance of a tower sunk into the ground. Naruto could see it if he craned his head up, but his strength was not fully back yet, and he only caught it in glimpses. Just dark. Stained marble and dark. "I have killed so many and yet so many remain. I… "

Naruto was before the entrance, and chunks of a spiral staircase descended into nothing through it. Just dark, cold. And he didn't want to go there. Something about it was wrong. Everything about it was wrong. He tried to shake out of the Darkwraith's hold, but couldn't. He looked at the Chosen Undead, and she looked at him, and he saw her eyes.

"Stop me." She said. Then the Darkwraiths tossed him into the abyss. And the spiral staircase fled past him, and the light suffocated, and he felt his breath drawn out of him. Pressure crashed over him; choking him, crushing him. Above, the speck of light from the tower shrunk to nothing, and still he fell.

The blade of a halberd exploded through him, nearly splitting him in half. Naruto looked at the blade. Then he was flung off, another blade caught him, and his arm spun off into nothing. A hand closed around his chest, pulled him away, and his leg fell and was gone. Naruto couldn't see anything. Just pain and dark, and then he felt something drained from him, slowly; something intangible and important, and he was tossed aside; spent, used up. Empty.

"You!" Claws drew him up to the bars of a cage, red fell over him. "Idiot! _Idiot_! How many times must I come to your aid! How many indignities must I suffer on your behalf! How long must I watch you flail in ignorance! Hate! I hate all that you are and if you will not pull us up then I _will do it myself_!"

Red chakra lit the abyss. Four things circled around Naruto, the forms of great men; but rotted, spiked, and what remained of their crowns had long since become part of them, jutting from their temples like misshapen horns, and their ceremonial robes were nothing but rags.

The jaws of a great beast shot from Naruto's head, crunched down around one of the Four Kings and spat a torrent of molten rock. The King thrashed and howled. Limbs sprouted from Naruto's body and sunk into the thing, and it went up in flames and ash.

The mouth bit off, and howled, and the sound shook the abyss. Still more chakra came forth, thickening the limbs and head, and tails began coil up. One, three, five. The sixth wrapped around one of the Kings, reeled it in. Then everything sunk into the captured King, and fire boiled it from within.

Balls of writhing energy boomed out from the beast, and it gobbled them up and spat them like cannonballs at the two circling Kings. One caught a glancing blow, and its shoulder vanished, the wound clean and smooth. The other closed, and the seventh tail snared out around its neck. Claws tore it apart.

Then fire came from the great mouth, and the last King vanished beneath it. Then the beast screamed, and still more chakra came, and then it was flying up, up, towards the light so many miles above. The light only got further away, and then the eighth tail unfurled. So much energy exploded down that the red beast shot up faster than the abyss could run, and claws tore out and sunk into the stone of the spiral staircase. And another set of claws gained purchase. The thing howled and heaved up, and the abyss couldn't hold it.

The ninth tail parted from the beast. The tower to the abyss came apart, and New Londo was washed in fire. But Naruto saw none of this. The sewer around him was breaking. A great slit eye was spread out before him, and he couldn't look away. There was so much rage, fire, hate, it shook him to his core and he lost himself in it. He was moving then, up on his feet, towards the bars that held the great beast, hand stretched out.

"Son."

A hand closed around his wrist, and it was as if a veil lifted from Naruto's head, and he truly saw. He stumbled back, and would have fallen had he not been held up. Naruto glanced at the man, saw the gold hair, blue eyes, the white coat.

"Buh…" He said.

"Son. I…" The man was just as eloquent. "You. How…"

"Son?" Naruto returned. "I? _Son_?"

The man's mouth opened and closed. "I was too late. You… Yes. I-"

Naruto smashed a fist into his jaw, and they both stumbled back. "Where the hell were you!" Naruto said.

"I was _dead_!" He said, "I died sealing the Kyuubi into you, and I was too late _again_ and now-"

"Here? Now!"

"And now I cannot save you! Naruto I can't save you it's too late!"

"You sealed the Kyuubi in me! The thing that attacked Konoha? That thing is _there_!" He jabbed at the bars. "No note? No will? Nothing!"

"I had plans! I sealed a piece of myself – I hoped-"

"Look where hope got me!" His stomach sunk into itself, and the hole there spat out blood and ink. Cracks ran up the bars holding the beast. Naruto refused to fall, but it hurt. All of it. "Why did you have to die! Why did everyone have to die! Why!"

"I _don't know_, Naruto! I –"

"Why has everything fallen apart!" Naruto said.

"I…" The man crinkled his nose, moments from tears but fighting them off. "I can give you a minute. At least. At least. We will meet. I know it. Just…"

"Just… " The Yondaime Hokage sloshed over to the bars, approached a piece of paper barely clinging to them. He didn't look at Naruto. "I'll be waiting," He said, "we both will," and he pressed his hand to the paper.

Then Naruto was looking out at the roof of the cave of New Londo, and he burst through it into the sunlight of firelink shrine. The miasma that formed the beast crashed back into him, coalesced into nine burning tails that flared out behind him. Then Naruto knew, abruptly; he was going to die. But he had a minute before the chakra ate him whole. At least a minute, and he knew where he needed to go. He could feel her, feel the heat of the first flame; but it was a gentle thing.

Laurentius was still there, in Firelink, sitting and staring at nothing. Naruto tore past him, further into the shrine, and Laurentius didn't even turn his head. Then Naruto came upon a yawning chasm that split the innards of some cracked-open building, and he hurled himself into the dark there.

He fell, but it was not fast enough, he felt the seconds stealing his skin as they passed. His flame was still inside him, and he bent it to his will. A jet of flame shot from his back, and he hit the base of the chasm like a meteor. He was already running, down stairs flanked by blinding light, and ghosts of fallen knights roamed within the light.

Then he was within the Kiln of the First Flame, and it was a land all its own. A melted cathedral rose some distance away, and fine ash fell in hills and mountains and muddied the sky.

Naruto ran for the Cathedral. He found the Chosen Undead within. Lord Gwyn was dead, curled around the first flame; but it was a sputtering weak thing. She held his soul in her hand, and around her Lord Gwyn's knights - faithful even in death had formed up ranks of thousands, hundreds of thousands ready to march on the world. And when she saw him, and gave the command, an ocean of burnt armor crashed down over him.

Naruto swept through them. They flew apart around his fists, around the nine tails that tore around him as he drew closer to where he knew the Chosen Undead to be. The Black Knights carried massive scythes, halberds, greatswords; but they may well have been carrying sticks. Naruto found himself slowing, soon. The chakra was burning him faster than it was healing him, he didn't have long; but she was close.

Sorceries fell from above like rain, and spears sunk through the knights towards him; all powerful enough to pierce a soul across time and space. Naruto barreled through them, he barely felt them. Lord Gwyn's Knights flew apart around him. Then he was before the Chosen Undead, her macelike-wand broken in his hand. The Knights gave him wide berth as he drew closer to her. She stood her ground; resigned, relieved. So relieved every thought, every line, every word flew from Naruto's head, and he was a child again. What could he say? What could he do? He didn't know. He just wanted her to stop looking like he did. Like he felt.

Then the red shroud was gone, and Naruto fell. She caught him.

"I... I think he was lonely." Naruto said. And she looked at him as though she'd never seen someone so stupid before. "The fire. It doesn't hurt. I have felt it... It doesn't hurt. So don't be afraid…"

"Why didn't you kill me." She said.

"I don't know what to do." Naruto said, "I don't understand how this place can be so cruel. I just. I… You don't have to be alone."

"I do." She said, voice thick but dignified.

"It doesn't have to end like this."

"It does."

"I can… I'm going to anyway, I can-"

"I will not let you." She said. "It is too… sad."

"You're afraid." Naruto said. He felt his eyes drifting closed. "But you're strong. You can… "

She shook her head. "No… Naruto. Just rest. Return to your world, if you can. Return to your body, if I have not marred your soul too badly. Rest. We will meet again, in another world. When my work is done."

"You don't have to be alone." He said, but she only lowered him to the ash, and he saw her walk from Lord Gwyn's melted cathedral; out into the dark of the world with her knights.

Naruto's fingers dug into the ash, and he strained to push himself up. But he fell, seeping cracks running along his arms, and he did not rise again.

* * *

_end_


	8. Epilogue

Lord Gwyn's knights washed over the world like a plague. Ceaseless, pitiless, and when at long last only the Chosen Undead and her knights remained she made to cast a sorcery upon herself. But the world froze, and the sun fell behind an immutable mist, and all sound and life held its breath. She was frozen, wand pressed to her chest and prepared for the end that would never come.

* * *

Doctor Fuzikashi was trying to shout over the din of competing orders. The boy is dead, he said. His heart is not beating, he is dead and I am a doctor not a magician. And the Hokage was roaring at everyone, red-faced and terrified out of his mind, and surgeons and nurses were skittering about beneath him while he told them to just _do it_. Just save him, just do something. Naruto's body was in the eye of the storm, and it was not moving.

Doctor Ozai had stopped questioning him; Ozai was over there, over the boy, performing basic compressions. The Hokage wept and told them to work faster.

* * *

_an: generally speaking I don't reply to reviews unless there's a question or obvious room for a reply/discussion. So I'll say it here. Thanks to all the people who read/liked/hated/'meh'd this story. I was expecting much, much less or a response, so a pleasant surprise all around. You guys rock. Any suggestions, criticism, what-have-you, I'd be happy to hear it. If not that's completely fine too. Alright, later.  
_

_yeah, just not sitting with me. Ending back to the way it's 'sposed to be. No planned sequel, as you can probably tell.  
_


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